Building Family
by EstiRose
Summary: Blood doesn't define a family, as Hunter and Blake well know....
1. Deciding preROT4

Disclaimer: Characters belong to BVE. At least in this one.   
  
Note: First in a series. *Evil laugh*   
  
Building Family: Deciding by Selma McCrory (EstiRose) and Beth Epstein (TPTigger) c 2003   
  
"So, big bro, what do we do now?" Blake asked. He leaned against the wall of their temporary home, a hotel that rented by the week, and flicked at a bug crawling down the wall.  
  
Hunter shrugged, putting his backpack down on the table. "I'm not sure. I think getting out of here might be a good idea before we cause any more problems."  
  
Blake nodded. "It's worth thinking about..."  
  
"I'm sensing a but," Hunter said. "What, lil' bro?"  
  
His younger brother looked over at him. "Well, remember the Mountain of Lost Ninjas? It took all five of us to beat those ghosts. What if Lothor has an alien in his army that the Winds can't handle on their own?"  
  
"Okay, they're not the best fighters in the world, and Dustin's an airhead, but they mostly did it on their own. They were expecting the things, after all." Hunter tried not to sigh. Hadn't they discussed this before they'd talked to Sensei Watanabe? Hadn't they agreed to leave?  
  
"Dude, I don't know about you, but I was very glad they were there." Blake's tone made him sound older than he was. Or tireder.  
  
"You can be grateful and not be needed at the same time," Hunter said, motioning with his hands as a way to get his point across.  
  
"Yeah, but..." Blake stood up, clearly about to unleash what he felt was the deciding argument.  
  
Hunter had a sneaking suspicion he knew what it was. And he didn't feel it was all that compelling. "If the name Tori passes your lips, you're in for a tickling," Hunter warned.  
  
"Bro," Blake said with some exasperation, "Five is stronger than three."  
  
"Only because five is greater than three," Hunter said, rolling his eyes. "I can do math, dude."  
  
"I'm worked, I'm going to sleep," Blake said in apparent annoyance. He stalked into the bedroom, apparently tired and frustrated.  
  
As was Hunter. He nodded. "Right, dude, completely with you." He stepped into the bathroom and stripped his civilian outfit so that he could shower. It was his turn to have the hot water, and he really needed it.  
  
No matter what the Winds' Sensei had said, there was wisdom in withdrawing as well. They'd spent most of their time as Rangers doing what Lothor said, first of their free will, then under mind control. Who'd need two Thunders who were shaming their school? Certainly not the saviours of the earth.  
  
He stuck his head under the warm water and set about getting himself cleaned up.  
  
* * *  
  
Hunter locked the motel door. "Another day, another dollar." He really didn't want to go to work. He didn't want to be around Dustin. He didn't want to be reminded of what he was not, and what Dustin was. A Ranger. On the right side.  
  
"Security fee on the apartment, bro," Blake reminded him.  
  
"I know, I know," Hunter said. "Maybe we should just go to Tibet and find Leanne."  
  
"How, hitchhike on American Airlines?" Blake's expression seemed to ask, "Are you *crazy*?"  
  
Hunter made a bouncy motion with his hand. "Ninja Air."  
  
"Yeah, that's inconspicuous," Blake said sarcastically.  
  
"Yeah, but it wouldn't require airfare." Which was all that could be said for it. He knew Blake hated transcontinental streaks.  
  
"Bro, maybe we should just stay here. Think about it for a bit."  
  
"Get destroyed by Lothor, you mean," Hunter pointed out. He frowned. "Dude, I can't get used to not saying the k-word."  
  
Blake nodded thoughtfully. "I know what you mean, I mean to say it and I get 'destroyed' instead."  
  
"Tell me about it!"  
  
"So, help the Winds destroy Lothor maybe?" Blake asked, returning to the previous subject.  
  
"Dude, I'm not ready for that level of commitment yet," Hunter said, sighing heavily. After all he and Blake had done to help Lothor, could they really be trusted to fight him?  
  
"Hunter, does the word 'destiny' mean anything to you?" Blake asked, crossing his arms and glaring at his brother.  
  
"Emperor kept saying that to Luke," Hunter said.  
  
"Dude, there's more to destiny than Star Wars," Blake said. "Besides, this way we stay in the loop when it comes to Lothor."  
  
Hunter shook his head. "I just don't know if I can take another day of Dustin pleading at us."  
  
"If we joined the Rangers, he'd stop pleading," Blake said. "Except possibly for moto x tips, but I can field that if you want."  
  
"You just want more time with Tori," Hunter pointed out.  
  
Blake's glare reached dagger proportions. "Do you really think that little of me?" His eyes softened enough to register a touch of betrayal.  
  
"Hey, you're usually the one putting on the charm, and now you're girl-struck. And with someone who started out as our enemy."  
  
"Maybe that was the Power telling us she wasn't?" Blake suggested  
  
"Do we have to have another talk about anthropomorphism?" Hunter asked.  
  
"You never know. It might be sentient," Blake pointed out. "Or maybe Power attracts Power."  
  
"You gonna research this?" Hunter asked.  
  
"There's only one person we can ask, who'd know. And I'm not gonna," Blake said.  
  
"Good idea." Hunter said. "Come on, let's get to work before Kelly wonders what happened to us."  
  
And so they left, Blake hurrying to stay at Hunter's side. Hunter somewhat wondered how long Blake would insist on them staying in Blue Bay Harbor, but eventually they'd leave. He knew it.  
  
-end. For now. 


	2. Protecting Secrets postROT4

Disclaimer: Characters belong to BVE and VRP. Not us.   
  
Note: Part of the "Building Family" series. The first was "Deciding".   
  
Building Family: Protecting Secrets by TPTigger (Beth) and EstiRose (Selma) c. 2003   
  
"So, we're part of the team now," Hunter said. They were sitting together as Hunter checked over his bike. "Bro, I hope you're happy."  
  
"Very," Blake said, looking in the other direction.  
  
Hunter grunted. "I figured you would be." He looked over at his brother. "I guess Shane does his thing and we do ours."  
  
"Bro, you've already let him do morphing calls with all of us together," Blake pointed out, squirming uncomfortably.  
  
"At that moment, I didn't *care* who was calling the morph," Hunter said, energetically tightening a bolt. "I was just so glad that we both came out of it alive." He frowned, though whether it was at his repairs or the memories, Blake couldn't tell.  
  
Blake nodded, hunting through the toolbox as if to help him. Really, it was an excuse to move closer and put a hand on Hunter's shoulder. "That was pretty freaky. I almost lost you there."  
  
"Yeah," Hunter said, squeezing Blake's shoulder affectionately. "Glad you were there to pull me out of it."  
  
"So am I," Blake agreed. He fished around in the toolbox and handed Hunter a ratchet. But his mind seemed elsewhere.  
  
"You okay, li'l bro?" Hunter asked. He put a hand on his brother's shoulder.  
  
Blake stared at the floor, and sighed. He bit his lip. "Still a little shaken up," Blake said, managing to look up at Hunter after saying that. "Think Dustin will be up for riding after work tomorrow?"  
  
"Hope so," Hunter said quietly. "I can do with just some plain riding. To not think of... other things." Like somehow agreeing to be on the team when his instinct screamed against it. Yeah, they'd made it through... but the Winds didn't really need to worry about the two of them being turned into bad guys again and again. He should have taken Blake and left town. Permanently. That was before yesterday, though.  
  
Somehow, Hunter suspected that Choobo would've found them wherever they went.  
  
"Bro, you're brooding again," Blake said, looking at his brother quietly.  
  
"I'm not," Hunter said. It sounded too pat, too quick, too fake, even to him.  
  
Blake didn't say anything, just leaned in and gave Hunter a quick hug.  
  
"I'm not brooding," Hunter insisted as Blake pulled away. "It's just like... what does this all mean?" Hunter looked at the floor. Then turned back towards the bike.  
  
"That we're meant to help save the world," Blake said. "Sensei said this was our destiny, after all. He says Sensei Omino knew it was our destiny."  
  
Hunter rolled his eyes. "I could do with a little less destiny and a little more 'how to save the world'."  
  
"We've got help, dude," Blake said. "We're not on our own anymore." He paused for a minute. "Well, not on saving the world, anyway. Cam asked me why we weren't in school."  
  
"'Cause we live fifty miles plus away and have spent most of the time since our school got captured running about being brainwashed?"  
  
"If I told him that, we'd get all sorts of awkward questions about where we were staying," Blake said. "I told him we were working on getting our records transferred, but that excuse isn't gonna last for long."  
  
"No, he's not, and I have the impression if Cam doesn't ask, Sensei will, and then he'll go tell Cam to do something about it," Hunter said gloomily. He sighed in exasperation. "Can't a guy just pretend to be eighteen?"  
  
"We don't have enough money for fake IDs," Blake pointed out reasonably. "And besides, I have a feeling one of those wouldn't get past Cam or Sensei."  
  
"At least past Cam," Hunter corrected, his tone just as dour as that of his previous statement. "He seems to be up on the computer stuff. I wish our Sensei had been bigger on computers." He remembered the guest room they'd stayed in that one night at Ops, at the elderly Apple Duo currently serving as decor.  
  
"So what are we gonna do?" Blake asked, leaving the decision, as always, to his older brother.  
  
Hunter shrugged, his voice tired, as if he'd gotten five years older in five minutes. "I guess we're stuck here. Do you think Cam will mind if we move in? I know Sensei Omino may or may not like it, but at least that will stop Cam from being nosy because he'll already know everything...."  
  
Blake bit his lip. "What do you think Sensei Omino will do to us if we do move in?"  
  
"Good point," Hunter said, shuddering. "We'll take some time to think about it. That records problem should be good for couple weeks. Maybe we can point out that we need duplicate social security cards 'cause the originals are in the Thunder Academy in Lothor's ship."  
  
"Cam and Sensei probably know how," Blake said, "But you're right. We do need some time to think about it. I wish we could talk to our Sensei, or our parents, or even Leanne...." He sighed. What he wanted right now, probably, was their older sister. She'd know what to do.  
  
"I think I've tracked down someone who might be able to get us her address," Hunter said, motioning with a wrench. "She might be able to help us out. Maybe."  
  
"Maybe," Blake echoed. "Why us? Why do we get to be the superheroes?  
  
Hunter chuckled. "You know, that's my line," he said simply.  
  
Blake sighed, burying his face in his hands. "It's the hunger talking. If I ate as much as I wanted I'd blow up like a balloon."  
  
"Or make Sensei put you on an exercise program," Hunter said, grinning at the image of Blake turning into a balloon. "Think we can charm Cam into making lunch? After all, our kitchen is now in outer space, and I think he's got a heart beneath that exterior...."  
  
Blake sighed again, clearly not sharing his brother's humor. "You know, you're a glutton for punishment."  
  
"Yeah," Hunter nodded, sobering. "We need to figure out some cooking utensils for the kitchenette at the room."  
  
"Dollar store?" Blake said, fidgeting. "They won't have pots, but they'll probably have something microwavable. I don't really want to go, but...." They didn't have a choice.  
  
"Hey, that's exactly what we need." Hunter finished his repair and leaned back, pulling Blake over, next to him. "I am so tired, bro. Tired and hungry."  
  
"Yeah, me too," Blake said, yawning, as if he could go to sleep right there and then. "Let's see if we can find something to nuke some dinner in."  
  
"Hot dogs and ramen, yum," Hunter added, making a face.  
  
Blake shrugged, looking a little more awake. "It's food. Not great food, but food. At least we're feeding us, right? You remember that dog food that they fed us back on the ship?"  
  
Hunter shuddered, remembering the Kelzaks' idea of how to feed the two Rangers. "Point taken."  
  
"We'll figure out what to do," Blake said soothingly, leaning against Hunter and sending him directly to the floor. "I'm sure there's a place we can really live that involves not being in the same school as the other three, not that I'd mind that...."  
  
"Too bad being back at our old school would arouse too many suspicions," Hunter said with a sigh.  
  
"Not to mention the exposure risk from streaking here and back every day," Blake said, giving his brother a small nod.  
  
"What we get for taking jobs in Blue Bay Harbor so we're traceable," Hunter said, shaking his head. "Really stupid."  
  
"Bro, you know how Sensei O. would react if we moved into Ops," Blake said, making a vague motion in the direction of said headquarters. "So, we'll just have to work on the records. Tori and the others go to Blue Bay Harbor High- maybe we can go to Luther Burbank High instead? We're in the right area here."  
  
"Still a problem of a lack of Sensei O's signature," Hunter said, randomly poking Blake in the nose. "Not to mention transferring records, no record of our moving... social services..."  
  
"You want to move to Ops and let Cam forge records?" Blake said, raising his eyebrows. "Bro, it may not be a good choice, but it is one."  
  
Hunter shook his head, as if denying that. "No, I just don't want to move into foster care."  
  
"A good reason to figure out a way to get into school," Blake said, pulling some paperwork out of who-knew where and handing it to his brother.  
  
"How?" Hunter asked, shuffling the paperwork as if unsure what to do with it.  
  
"Hey, you've forged a signature before," Blake said. "You can do it."  
  
Hunter rolled his eyes, handing the papers back to Blake. "Lothor signs better than I do, but I can hardly ask him to do it, now can I?"  
  
Blake chuckled, secreting the papers again and rolling his eyes at his older brother. "No. Hey! What if we asked Dustin or Tori?"  
  
"That would get back to Cam or Sensei," Hunter pointed out. "And both can lecture like never before. And getting bopped on the head by a flying guinea pig is not my idea of fun."  
  
Blake chuckled and opened the door to the Dollar Store, and the two of them walked in. "Good point."  
  
"Now what?" Blake asked, looking at the layout. It didn't look any better than the first time they'd gone in.  
  
"Do we want to get candy?" Hunter asked, looked at the aisle immediately before them.  
  
Blake wrinkled his nose in obvious disgust. "Do we want to know how long it's been here?"  
  
"No," Hunter admitted, frowning at his brother's practicality. "You try to find the microwave plates, I'll try to find us something high-energy before Cam decides to force-feed us something."  
  
"I don't think we want to know how long that's been here either," Blake said motioning at the food department. "I move we stop at Safeway and then see if we can talk Shane into taking us to CostCo. I know his family has a card."  
  
"That works," Hunter said, inspired by his little brother's words. "Come on, let's go. I can't stand being around this place." He tugged his brother out of the little store. "And let's figure out how to establish our identities. Especially if we don't want to come to Cam's attention."  
  
"Too late," Blake said, as a green, four-door Echo stopped in front of them.  
  
The window rolled down, revealing Cam Watanabe, wearing a pair of prescription mirror shades. "Blake. Hunter. What brings you two here?" He frowned as if they shouldn't have been caught dead in that store.  
  
"Um, buying some extra plates?" Hunter said, hoping he wasn't blushing.  
  
Cam raised an eyebrow above the rims of his glasses in disbelief. "Did you leave them in the store?"  
  
"Didn't find anything decent," Hunter said, fighting the urge to shift from foot to foot. "I mean, those aren't great plates in there. We're trying Safeway. Or IKEA. Or something."  
  
"IKEA?" Cam asked, his voice shocked. "Kind of pricey. What about Target? Or I've got a Sam's card, and I'm heading there anyway..."  
  
"Are you sure you haven't switched with Dustin or something, Dude?" Hunter asked doubtfully. "This sounds way too helpful for you...."  
  
"Anyway, I'll take you over to Sam's Club," Cam said, ignoring the last. "I need some more Guinea Pig Chow." He looked thoughtful, as if guinea pig chow was some kind of major decision he had to make.  
  
"Guinea pig chow?" Blake asked, opening the door to the back seat and slipping in.  
  
"What else would Dad eat?" Cam asked. "Hunter, would you mind sitting up front so I don't feel like a chauffeur?"  
  
"Uh, sure," Hunter said, closing the door behind Blake and opening the car door. "Right." As long as Cam didn't ask too many questions, the two of them would be okay. After all, they hadn't really bought anything that would make Cam suspicious. He just hoped Cam wouldn't press over school records or where the two were staying. As long as Cam didn't know where they were staying, they would be okay. He slipped into the front seat.  
  
Cam studied him for a moment, seemingly looking straight into Hunter's soul. "Are you all right?"  
  
"Bro didn't sleep well, that's all," Blake said smoothly.  
  
Cam frowned in concern. "Any particular reason?"  
  
"Nosey, aren't you?" Hunter returned. "I think I have a right to keep my sleeping habits private, all right?"  
  
"Team medic, remember?" Cam frowned. "I have every right when it comes to the well-being of this team.  
  
"You ever been so tired you couldn't sleep?" Hunter asked, giving up. If Cam got suspicious, they were in trouble.  
  
"Sure, sometimes," Cam said. He looked at Hunter thoughtfully. "You tried taking a Benadryl before you go to sleep?"  
  
"Don't have that," Hunter said, shaking his head. "Most of our posessions are in a bubble on Lothor's ship, remember? And I don't like taking meds just to get to sleep."  
  
"We'll pick some up for you," Cam said soothingly, pulling out of the parking lot and into traffic.  
  
Blake and Hunter exchanged worried glances. Sam's had big quanities. Yes, they were a good deal, but you paid more at the outset.  
  
And given the high price of even cheap motel rent in California, the pay at Storm Chargers wasn't that good.  
  
"Uh, Cam, no big deal," Hunter said, trying to get Cam off the subject. "I'm sure it's all the excitement, you know."  
  
"Yeah, but once you get into a weird sleep pattern, it's hard to get out of it, trust me," Cam said, driving seemingly smoothly, but Hunter saw his hands tense against the wheel. "And that's the last thing you need right now."  
  
"I've gotta try," Hunter said stubbornly, crossing his arms. "Why take meds when I can try meditation?"  
  
"Have you tried that before?" Cam asked, seemingly intrigued.  
  
"Sensei Omino had a technique for that," Blake said, picking up the thread of conversation and verbally trying to distract Cam from Hunter. "It was just that Big Bro was so tired he forgot."  
  
Cam bit his lip, as if trying to gauge the effectiveness of Hunter's proposed treatment. "OK. But if it doesn't work tonight, I want you to pick up some Benadryl OK?"  
  
"Ok," Hunter said brightly-- and honestly. He knew he could pick it up more Benadryl than he would ever need at Target for less overall cost at Sam's, since it would be a smaller box. Much less if he was willing to brave Target's generic.  
  
"Thanks for taking us," Blake said from the back seat. Hunter could hear his brother's stomach growl, and winced. "I feel like I could eat the entire Club."  
  
"No problem," Cam said, making no indication that he'd heard it too. "You should probably pick up some high energy bars-- breakfast bars, granola bars. It's a good way to make sure you're getting enough carbs for those Ranger metabolisms of yours.  
  
"Ranger metabolisms?" Hunter asked in complete surprise, before he could stop himself.  
  
Cam nearly paled. He nearly squeaked, "No one told you?"  
  
"Hello, Cam, we've been either up on a ship or on our own the past few weeks," Blake reminded him.  
  
"On your own? Where are you staying?" Cam asked, his tone sharp. He'd caught the growl of Blake's stomach, all right.  
  
"We found a place," Hunter said quickly. "Don't worry about us. Just tell us anything else we should be worried about. How many carbs do we need?" He hoped distracting Cam would work, save him from any more questions.  
  
Cam frowned, clearly unconvinced, but rather than give off any outward appearance of incredulity, he started rattling off numbers.  
  
* * *  
  
"Let me give you a ride home," Cam said smoothly, as they drove out of Sam's parking lot.  
  
"Could you drop us at Target?" Hunter said, trying to think of a way of not showing Cam where they lived. "We still need plates, and we can take a bus there. It's a nice day outside."  
  
"What was wrong with those sets at Sam's?" Cam asked. "They were a good price."  
  
"Dude, there were ten of them! We don't need that many," Hunter exclaimed, elbowing the door. "Target sells them individually."  
  
"We'd end up spending less overall. It's not like we're gonna have huge dinner parties. There are only two of us," Blake pointed out. "Three, if we start inviting Tori...."  
  
"Bro, so not ready for that yet," Hunter interrupted, frustration creeping into his voice.  
  
"Good point," Blake said quietly, staring out the window absently.  
  
Cam frowned. It was unusual for the brothers to show anything other than solidarity. "You sure you don't want me to wait for you?" Cam said. "Dad gives me a rough time if I'm not out of the cave long enough to suit him anyway."  
  
"Nah, the walk will do us good," Hunter said, trying to sound like Cam's offer bored him. Which it didn't - who would choose walking over a ride? But he couldn't show that. "Why don't you go catch Shane skateboarding if you have some free time?"  
  
Cam blanched. "I get enough of that in Ninja Ops, thank you," he said, covering up the reaction with a sarcastic tone.  
  
Hunter shrugged, as if he didn't care what Cam did, which was mostly true. "Suit yourself." He watched as they pulled into Target and Cam pulled into a space. "Thanks, bro," he said. "Catch you later."  
  
"Thanks so much, Cam, we appreciate it," Blake said, grabbing the box of granola bars in the bag that Cam had brought for the occasion. "This really will help."  
  
"One of you had better wait outside with that, you don't have the receipt," Cam reminded him. The Thunders had given Cam cash as technically non-members weren't allowed to buy anything. And Cam had stuffed it who-knew-where.  
  
"Right," Hunter said as Blake bounced out of the car and shut the door.  
  
"I'll stay outside, you go in," Blake said to Hunter. He then turned to the open driver's side window. "Thanks, Cam. See you." The two walked off towards the store entrance.  
  
"You watch and make sure he goes, I'll get the plates," Hunter said as casually as he could when they were out of Cam's earshot.  
  
"Right," Blake said, hoping that Cam wouldn't notice the two of them conspiring.  
  
Blake sat himself on a bench outside the Target while Hunter walked in. He made his way towards the groceries section, picking up a set of fifty paper plates on sale, and then made his way towards the cookware. He knew that Cam would probably try to figure out where they lived, so he took some time looking at video games, toys, and DVDs.  
  
He settled on a medium sized microwave dish and some disposable leftover containers that were also microwavable (after taking a few minutes to calculate which brand was cheapest). He sighed, went to get some dish soap and then headed for the check out lanes. He paid (and was relieved that the next day he and Blake would get paid), and went out to meet his brother.  
  
"Has he...." Hunter asked, nudging his head in the direction of where Cam had parked. He didn't see Cam's car, not that he hadn't counted Echoes in about five different colors. But not dark green.  
  
"Left right after you went in, bro," Blake said as he stood up, stretching a bit and then grabbing the large box of granola bars. "It's a long walk home, you ready?"  
  
Hunter sighed heavily. He didn't really want to walk, but what choice did they have? "Right. Glad it's summer so it's not raining."  
  
"Want to break into this thing?" Blake asked, indicating the one of the two jumbo packs of granola bars in the bag.  
  
"Desperately, bro," Hunter said. He looked longingly at the bag and willed himself to not eat, despite what Cam had said.  
  
"Glad Cam told us about the carbohydrates," Blake said, the bag hitting against his leg as they walked. "I wondered why I felt so tired."  
  
"Yeah, but we still can't eat until we get home. See Cam's car anywhere?" Hunter said, craning his head.  
  
"No," Blake responded, doubt creeping into his voice. "He really left. It was like he gave up or something."  
  
"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, li'l bro," Hunter said, clapping Blake on the shoulder.  
  
"Right, let's get going," Blake said, setting a loping, sustainable pace.  
  
Hunter grimaced, and set off with his brother, careful not to quicken his pace and tire out his little brother by taking longer strides.  
  
* * *  
  
"I can't believe we're having granola bars for dinner," Blake said, looking at the bare cupboard.  
  
"You want to tell Cam this is the only thing we have to eat?" Hunter asked, motioning at the granola bars.  
  
"No way, bro," Blake said, holding up his hands. "At least we can pick up some more basics after we get paid tomorrow."  
  
"Yeah, ramen, hotdogs... I think we can probably manage pasta in the microwave dish too," Hunter said, biting into one of the bars. "All that's pretty cheap."  
  
"Frozen vegetables?" Blake asked, making a face.  
  
"You want scurvy or rickets or something?" Hunter asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Right, veggies," Blake said, in a tone saying he wasn't happy about it.  
  
"I suppose we can do veggie hot dogs," Hunter said, trying to sound accomidating. "But they aren't cheap."  
  
Blake's nose wrinkled deeply. Clearly he liked that idea even less.  
  
"Right," Hunter said, shaking his head. "We can sneak some food out of Ops the day after tomorrow. Cam won't notice."  
  
"Cam won't notice. Right." Blake shook his head. "You crazy, bro?" he asked. "Never mind. Just don't get any frozen spinach."  
  
"Hey, it's a veggie," Hunter pointed out. "Unless you *really* want to tell Cam where we are. I'm sure he'd be glad to feed us then."  
  
"Don't remind me. I looked out our window and swear I saw Cam's car," Blake complained, leaning back on the bed. "But then I blinked, and it was gone."  
  
"Am I making you paranoid, li'l bro?" Hunter razzed, crosssing his arms.  
  
"Ditching cars and buying frozen spinach?" Blake said, shaking his head. "Yeah."  
  
Hunter chuckled. "Ok, I'll get peas. Better?" he asked indulgently.  
  
"Much," Blake responded. "You get spinach and I'll...."  
  
"I know, I know," Hunter said, ruffling his younger brother's hair.  
  
* * *  
  
"You look a lot better," Cam said, looking up from his computer, as they arrived early for practice. Hunter sometimes envied Cam for being able to dress like he did at Ops. Of course, Cam wasn't a Ranger, so he didn't have to wear a class uniform.  
  
"The meditation worked," Hunter said, brightly. "As did the granola bars. Thanks, bro."  
  
Cam schooled his face, refusing to react to the word "bro". "No problem."  
  
"Now if he didn't sleep through his alarm," Blake said, clapping Hunter on the shoulder affectionately. "He sleeps like the dead."  
  
"So do you, bro," Hunter pointed out, leaning on Cam's console. "Why do you think Sensei Omino bought an extra-loud alarm for our room?"  
  
"Because he was tired of coming in to wake us up?" Blake asked rhetorically.  
  
"Dude, I'd say there's a story behind this," Dustin said, coming in behind them.  
  
Hunter just shrugged nonchalantly. "Not really. Ready for practice?"  
  
"Sure, dude," Dustin said. He waggled his finger at Hunter, "Don't think you're not getting out of telling us stories, though."  
  
"Dude, there's no story," Blake adamantly insisted.  
  
"Yeah," Dustin said, not precisely sounding like he believed them. He glanced over at Cam and the computer. "So, Cam, what'cha doing while we practice?"  
  
"Manipulation of cartographic features on a GPS map," Cam said cryptically, tapping in something and frowning at the display  
  
"Wha?" Hunter asked. He only hoped it was something Zord-related.  
  
"Never mind," Cam said, patience clearly running thin. "You three go in, I'll send the other two in when they get here."  
  
"Right," Blake said, clearly disappointed at not getting to wait in the command center area of Ninja Ops for Tori.  
  
The three of them headed outside to where they were supposed to meet Sensei for practice.  
  
* * *  
  
Cam stopped the two of them from exiting through the holographic entrance after the team had finished practice. He looked annoyed in the sunlight. "I want to speak to you for a moment."  
  
Blake and Hunter exchanged glances, but nodded in assent. What else could they do? They followed Cam inside, looking at each other as he sat down on his chair and settled in.  
  
Cam took his glasses off and started cleaning them. He absently hit a control on the keyboard, and a map sprang to life on the monitor.  
  
"What's that, bro?" Blake asked, pretending he didn't recognize the street names.  
  
"It looks like a video game," Hunter said, approaching the computer. "Can I play?" He looked around. "Where's the controls?"  
  
"It's a map," Cam said patiently, as if wise to his deception. "I want to point some things out to you."  
  
The Thunders obediently drew closer, no matter how much they wanted to shrink away. Blake and Hunter exchanged glances.  
  
"These are the tracks," Cam said, pointing at a line on the map that was actually a street. "This is the right side. And this is the wrong side." He turned to look them in the eyes. " Now, which side were you two sleeping on last night?"  
  
"Dude," Hunter said, trying to adopt an innocent tone, "I don't recognize any of those street names. Do you, bro?"  
  
"Uh-uh," Blake affirmed, sounding much more innocent than his brother.  
  
Cam frowned, turned, and typed in a few commands. Crimson and navy dots appeared on the block of their apartment building. He turned back to face them, "Isn't that where you're staying?"  
  
"Don't know what you're talking about, dude," Hunter said, pretending to study the map. "Bro?"  
  
Blake looked at the map carefully, but Hunter could see his fingers trembling. "Nope, not a clue."  
  
"You know, you two are very bad liars," Cam said. He looked pointedly at Blake's fingers.  
  
Hunter gently placed a hand over Blake's. "Dude, would we live on the bad side of the tracks?" Hunter said. "I think your computer has a problem. Or something. Sure you don't need to back it up and do a fresh install? I did that once."  
  
"Come on, bro," Blake said, turning away to help hide the fingers. "He's turning red under the collar. You threatened his computer."  
  
"You're right," Hunter said, studying Cam. "Maybe we should get out of here." The two of them turned and tried to walk as if they weren't trying to hurry out of Ops.  
  
Cam sighed in frustration, but let them go. He knew it was no good trying to help the Thunders before they were ready. He might want to let Shane in on what he'd found out.  
  
Then again, given the friction between the two young men, perhaps it was better to keep things to himself for the time being.  
  
Until he figured out an inroad to the Thunders' trust.  
  
(End) 


	3. Brothers First postPC

Disclaimer: Characters belong to BVE and VRP, not us.   
  
Note: Third in the "Building Family" series.   
  
Building Family: Brothers First By Estirose (Selma) and TPTigger (Beth) c. 2003   
  
"Blake, is something troubling you?" Sensei asked. The human turned guinea pig looked up at him from his pocket.  
  
"No, Sensei." The Winds' Sensei might have been turned into a guinea pig, but Blake had been raised to respect his teachers. He blushed, glad that the Ninja Master coudn't see it clearly.  
  
"Indeed." Sensei's voice showed his doubts, and Blake wondered if Cam had *ever* gotten away with anything. Maybe it was a good thing that he and Hunter didn't live at Ops. They wouldn't have lasted five minutes.  
  
"Hunter's still kinda ticked with me for inviting Tori to the film festival in the first place," Blake explained with a heavy sigh. Despite his reluctance to talk, he had to talk to somebody. Although, walking down the street looking for a quiet place to streak from probably wasn't the best time to be talking to his pocket. Fortunately, no one seemed to be looking too closely, they probably figured he was on a cell phone.  
  
"Is this an unusual occurrence?" Sensei asked. Blake wondered how such a little guinea pig could be so intuitive. Except he wasn't a guinea pig, really.  
  
"It was before we came to Blue Bay Harbor," Blake explained. He and Hunter rarely fought at the Thunder Academy. But nowÉ.  
  
"Brothers are always the last to adjust when their siblings change," Sensei said wisely, and Blake wondered if it had anything to do with past experience. Or maybe Sensei was telepathic. "Especially an elder brother."  
  
"Yeah, well, Hunter wasn't keen on me and Tori in the first place," Blake pointed out. "She was *supposed* to be The Enemy, after all." To say it was an understatement. How could one love one's enemy and hate them at the same time? Maybe he's thought of Tori as being a dupe. But he couldn't think that about her, not his Tori.  
  
"The circumstances of your meeting were... less than amenable," Sensei pointed out. As if they needed to be. Sure, the plan had gone great... until he'd met Tori. Until he'd *used* Tori. Blake winced at the memory.  
  
"Sometimes I think only children have it easier," Blake said, shaking his head. Then he realized what he'd implied, and added hastily, "But I wouldn't have given Hunter up for anything. We've been through a lot together."  
  
Sensei nodded sagely. "Having something constant in one's life is a good thing."  
  
"But he still didn't want me taking Tori to the festival," Blake said with a miserable sigh. Why was Hunter so adamantly opposed to Tori?  
  
"Perhaps he wanted you to himself," Sensei suggested. Blake paused in shock. That hadn't occurred to him before.  
  
"I guess so," Blake said guiltily. "Sometimes I like being the younger brother, sometimes...." He sighed. "I wish Hunter would understand that I need my own life. Like it's not going to hurt to let lil'bro go out on his own."  
  
"Perhaps he fears losing you the way he has lost everyone else." Sensei's voice was soft and wise. The way the best instructors at the Thunder Ninja Academy were.  
  
Blake sat down on a convenient step. "I know. Hunter needs someone else to love, and he hasn't got anybody else." Not with their parents, their foster father, and practically everybody they knew, gone. He didn't blame Hunter for wanting to know that he was safe. On the other hand, surely Hunter could love Tori almost as much as he did, and open their circle to her?  
  
"Sensei Omino isn't dead," Sensei reminded him, gently. It was important to remember that Sensei Omino, at least, they could get back. "Never forget that. And as the two of you settle into the team...."  
  
"Hunter doesn't precisely *settle*," Blake said miserably. Which was true. Hunter waited for the world to adjust to him, not the other way around, sometimes. Or for it to smack him over the head and make him see sense. "And, no offense, Sensei, but he's still having problems with me dating a Wind."  
  
"There is room enough in your heart for both of them, is there not?" Sensei asked, as if probing Blake's feelings.  
  
"Of course Sensei. No matter what happens, Hunter's still my brother," Blake said firmly. He loved Tori. At least he wanted to get to know her better. Or something. But Hunter wasn't bending. Hunter didn't work that way.  
  
"Perhaps Hunter simply needs reminding of that," Sensei advised. "Perhaps he cannot see the way that you do, and you need to remind him that you are his brother, and will never not be."  
  
"How?" Blake asked. "Me saying the words doesn't change anything." He stared at the small being. Hadn't Sensei realized what kind of person Hunter was?  
  
"Still have time for him," Sensei said simply. As if he was sure Blake would have come up with it on his own. "And you might do better in future to talk to him before inviting Tori along."  
  
"He did get three tickets," Blake mused. "Why would Hunter get an extra ticket if he wanted me all to himself?"  
  
"Perhaps he expected you to invite Shane or Dustin," Sensei said. "Perhaps he was trying to connect with one of your other teammates."  
  
Blake made a face. "I don't think so." The last thing Hunter would do would be to take one of the Winds along. Just because he'd accepted Shane as leader didn't mean that he wasn't still a Thunder.  
  
"Then...." Sensei looked expectantly up at Blake.  
  
"Sensei, as far as I can tell, maybe he'd met someone. Or maybe he was planning on taking Cam." The idea hit Blake like a freight train. He didn't know where it would come from or how it made sense, but there it was.  
  
"An interesting hypothesis, Blake," Sensei said, curiosity evident in his voice. "Did you ask him if he'd had other plans for the third ticket?"  
  
"No," Blake admitted, scuffing his shoes against the pavement. "I know it probably wasn't Cam. He and Hunter don't get along that great." His stomach lurched from the last time they'd had a conversation with Cam that didn't involve a Lothor attack... and that one had involved Cam implying he knew exactly where the two of them were currently living.  
  
Had Hunter been trying to bribe Cam? Or maybe just reassure him they were OK. Maybe he should have asked.  
  
"Maybe the two of you need to talk more," Sensei counseled quietly. "Regain what connections you have lost."  
  
"Sounds like a good idea," Blake said, getting up and heading in the direction of that alley. "Thanks, Sensei."  
  
"It is no problem, Blake. I understand that I am not your own Sensei, but I am here for you," Sensei said. His tone was soothing and gentle. It made Blake ache for his father, Sensei Omino and Hunter all at once.  
  
"Thanks," Blake repeated. And he meant it.  
  
(end) 


	4. Thunders' Trust post SoaR

Disclaimer: Characters belong to BVE, except for those who don't.  
  
Authors' note: Takes place after "Scent of a Ranger", spoilers for same.  
  
Building Family: Thunders' Trust by Selma McCrory (EstiRose) and Beth Epstein (TPTigger) c. 2003  
  
Hunter slowly regained consciousness, to the thrum of his head. "Ow, where are we?" he asked as he looked at the strange space. It seemed like he was in a shimmering bubble about fifty or so feet across, holding a great darkness at bay. It was faintly illuminated, as if someone didn't like the darkness. Or wanted him to feel at home, somehow.  
  
"Don't know," Cam's voice said from behind him, echoing in an eerie manner in this strange place. "We have oxygen... or seem to." Hunter turned slowly, trying to ignore the aches in various spots on his body. Cam was unmorphed, and somehow, he'd become unmorphed in civilian gear. Hunter turned to see if anyone else had become trapped in there with them, and soon spotted his younger brother, unconscious.  
  
"Blake!" Hunter rushed to Blake's side, shaking him gently by the arm. "Blake!"  
  
"Careful," Cam admonished, pulling Hunter's hand away from his brother's arm. "You don't want to make anything worse." He knelt by Blake's side, looking over him as if to diagnose the problem by sight.  
  
"What's wrong with him?" Hunter asked his teammate in a panic. The monster hadn't hit them *that* hard, so what had happened to his little brother? "What happened? Why are we here?"  
  
"I don't know, I don't know, and I don't know. Let me look at Blake." Cam's voice was firm and clear, and Hunter found himself leaning back in order to let Cam examine Blake.  
  
Hunter watched Cam look over Blake by taking his pulse, gently touching areas in order to check for swelling. Hunter was trying not to be impatient, really he was. Blake wasn't even moving or making a single sound in response to Cam's examinations. Blake was... was... breathing...  
  
"Hunter, calm down, you're hyperventilating," Cam said, sparing a moment to touch Hunter's shoulder. Cam's voice was clear, but soothing. Cam was completely calm, with a tone that told Hunter he should be calm too. "Take a deep breath."  
  
Hunter obeyed. First in gasps, then in slow, controlled breaths, just as Sensei Omino had taught him.  
  
"That's better," Cam said, and returned his attention to Blake.  
  
After a few long, excruciating minutes, Cam finished his exam. He touched behind Blake's ear gently. "Blake."  
  
"Wha?" the Navy Ranger said, opening his eyes and looking around. He focused on Cam's shirt. "Cam, what are you *wearing*?"  
  
"Never mind that," Cam said. Seeing Hunter's frantic look, he moved back to let the older Thunder reassure himself that Blake was all right, relatively speaking. At least he was better than he'd looked at first glance. "Careful, you might have a concussion."  
  
He let Hunter examine Blake for a few minutes, and then the older Thunder leaned back, satisfied. "Where are we?" he asked, apparently eager to get his little brother to safety. Cam couldn't blame him.  
  
"How should I know?" Cam asked, stretching in an attempt to sooth sore muscles. "We were attacked, we fell into this... thing."  
  
A new voice startled them. "What are you doing here?" she asked. The three of them turned, Blake if vaguely, to the speaker. She was a young asian woman, with long, pink hair, dressed in some kind of sailor outfit, and she was sniffling. Her headgear reminded Hunter unpleasantly of Marah, if Marah had been a Sailor Scout with purple eyes that looked like an early rendering of Mickey Mouse.  
  
"We don't know," Cam said matter-of-factly. "Can you help us?" He got up and strode forward.  
  
"What kind of *idiot* can't get themselves out of a dimensional bubble?" She asked, her voice rising to the pitch of nails on a chalkboard.  
  
"Us idiots," Hunter said, as if he didn't care what she thought. "Mind telling us how to get out?"  
  
She sniffled again, took a long shuddering, then looked at them, chin raised. "If you don't know, I'm not going to tell you! Go away!" She brushed a tear away from her cheek, and abruptly disappeared.  
  
"That was useful," Hunter said with a snort.  
  
"Yeah, thanks for quoting Roundhouse at us, Sailor Kosh," Cam said in the direction of the now-disappeared figure.  
  
"Huh?" Blake said, attempting to crane his head to look at Hunter. "I must have like, a major concussion, that was gibberish."  
  
"I think it was Camese, li'l bro," Hunter said reassuringly, brushing Blake's bangs back. "I didn't understand it either."  
  
Blake tried to sit up, apparently trying to move.  
  
"No," Hunter said sternly. "Stay still."  
  
"But," Blake tried to sit up, restless from trying to stay still.  
  
"Hunter's right, Blake," Cam said, moving to his side-- the one not occupied by Hunter-- and restraining him by placing a hand on his shoulder. "You need to lie still until we can get you back to Ops."  
  
"Great," Blake said, not too happy at having to stay still, judging from his expression. "So, what do we do next?"  
  
"Well, us idiots will have to figure out how to get out of this bubble," Hunter said, nodding towards the space where the unhappy girl had stood. "While you stay still."  
  
"Just don't go too far, okay?" Blake asked, the look in his eyes causing Hunter to lean nearer.  
  
Hunter took his brother's hand. "Okay. Let your big brother take care of you."  
  
Cam frowned, reaching into his pockets for something. He took out a PDA-sized piece of equipment.  
  
"You got a tricorder or something, Cam?" Hunter asked, staring at the device.  
  
Cam raised an eyebrow, as if Hunter had temporarily blinked out of existence and blinked back in again. "You watch Star Trek?"  
  
"Dude, everyone knows Star Trek," Blake said impatiently.  
  
"Oh," Cam said, in way that indicated he was still shocked. "Not quite, but it should tell us a little about what we're looking at. And maybe enough information for me to adapt one of your morphers to reach Ops."  
  
"That possible?" Hunter asked, eyebrow raised in curiosity.  
  
"Maybe not, but I'm not going to sit here and wait. You stay with Blake. I'll be back," Cam said and left.  
  
Hunter frowned, he didn't like Cam being alone out there. Obviously, Blake really couldn't be left alone, but still...  
  
"Bro," Blake said, fidgeting a little, "This is going to get really boring really fast."  
  
Hunter chuckled, a smile spreading over his face. "Hansel and Gretel or The Frog Prince?"  
  
"Bro, those are boring. How's your memory of Harry Potter?" Blake asked, batting his eyelashes at his older brother.  
  
Hunter buried his face in his free hand.  
  
At that moment, Cam came back, looking slightly happier than he'd been the whole time they'd been in the bubble. "It's not as bad as I thought, though I may or may not be able to rig something that can let us communicate with CyberCam at Ops."  
  
"Can we help?" Blake asked, pleadingly, obviously still tired of lying still.  
  
"Not very much," Cam admitted, after looking at the two for a moment. "Can I use your morpher?"  
  
"Sure, dude," Blake said, taking it off and holding it uncertainly. "Better mine than either of yours."  
  
"Yeah, we might need ours if Sailor Kosh comes back and gets antsy about her private space," Hunter said, moving between Blake and the space the girl had occupied.  
  
A corner of Cam's mouth quirked up and he reached down to retrieve the morpher from Blake's hands. He looked at the morpher, examining it for a minute.  
  
"What, dude?" Hunter asked, curiously.  
  
"I like the name, all right?" Cam asked. He fished a toolkit out of someplace in his vest and opened Blake's morpher. Hunter felt a pang of nervousness as the guts of the morpher were revealed. "Have either of you ever seen Sailor Moon or Babylon 5?"  
  
"Sensei wasn't big on TV," Hunter said, shifting to a more comfortable sitting position, and keeping his eyes firmly focused on his little brother.  
  
"Maybe we should all watch them as a team bonding activity," Cam chuckled, his eyes dancing. "The Winds could use some Pop Culture education too."  
  
Hunter's jaw dropped and he stared at Cam, hardly blinking. Blake moved his head up slightly to get a better view of Cam, as if he wasn't sure that was really who he was hearing.  
  
"I'll cook," Cam volunteered, his voice chiding.  
  
"I'll go for that," Blake joked, resting his head back. He grinned. "Just get me out of here and point me at the nearest TV."  
  
"Maybe we can nab Cam's," Hunter joked back, brushing Blake's stubborn bangs back out of his eyes.  
  
"You make me sound like your big brother or something," Cam said, giving the Thunders an odd look.  
  
Hunter and Blake exchanged glances. And shrugged, sheepishly.  
  
"Two big brothers wouldn't hurt," Blake offered with a grin.  
  
"Great," Cam said, snappishly. "I didn't mean to have you take me literally." He shook his head. "Isn't one big brother enough for you, Blake?"  
  
"You can be our middle brother, just for today," Hunter offered.  
  
Cam looked up and blinked, as if doubting Hunter's sanity. "Why?"  
  
Hunter shrugged. "I'm taller than you. That makes you the middle brother."  
  
Cam shook his head at that. "Your logic does not resemble our Earth logic."  
  
"Dude, does he look like Xander?" Blake asked, making abortive motions towards Cam.  
  
Hunter pushed Blake back down, keeping his hand on his brother's chest. He turned to Cam. "Cam quoting Buffy, must be a sign of the apocalypse."  
  
Cam rolled his eyes. His tone took on the sarcastic note they'd heard from him after he'd broken the brick none of the rest of them could. "Don't you think that's enough?"  
  
"You have to be nice to me, I'm injured," Blake said, his voice soft, as if to underscore his weakness.  
  
"Fine, but only 'til we get you back to ops," Cam said, very carefully mussing Blake's hair.  
  
Blake turned to his other side and looked at his brother. "It might just be the concussion, but is Cam actually *humoring* me?"  
  
"It appears that way, li'l bro," Hunter said, squeezing Blake's hand affectionately.  
  
"Can you two find something to do other than razz me?" Cam asked irritably. "It's very distracting."  
  
"But it's so much fun!" Hunter deadpanned. Then a wide grin spread across his face  
  
"Do you want to get home, or do you want to have another encounter with her annoyedness?" Cam asked with a frown.  
  
Hunter shrugged, as if the encounter with Sailor Kosh hadn't happened. "Hey, we're having *fun* for a moment. You know, that thing you do when you're not reprogramming Zords?"  
  
"Reprogramming Zords is fun," Cam murmured, in the same annoyed tone as before. "Can you guys find something *quiet* to do? Please?"  
  
Blake yawned loudly. "I could go for a nap."  
  
"No!" Hunter and Cam said in unison. "Don't!"  
  
"Not with a concussion," Cam reasoned gently. "Not for a couple hours, and then we'll need to wake you up every few hours."  
  
"We'll have to keep him awake, even if we can't get out of here immediately," Hunter said, looking at Cam.  
  
Blake sighed fitfully. "You're gonna end up poking me a lot aren't you?"  
  
"If it works," Cam said, poking at the morpher's guts again.  
  
"Great," Blake said testily.  
  
Hunter rubbed his brother's shoulder. "Cam'll get us out of here," he said reassuringly.  
  
"Or CyberCam will," Cam pointed out. "I'm sure that he and the others are trying everything in their power to find us."  
  
"Forgot about him," Hunter said, looking down at Blake and nowhere near Cam.  
  
"Yeah," Blake said, gingerly moving his arms to stretch them a bit. "It still creeps me out that it took seeing both of you to figure out he was an impostor."  
  
Cam sighed, and shook his head. "It wasn't obvious that he wasn't me? What's it going to take, him or me getting a love life?" Cam's tone had gone from annoyed to exasperated.  
  
"Yeah," the Thunders chorused, twin mischievous grins on their faces.  
  
"Great," Cam huffed grumpily.  
  
Hunter grinned, his tone goading. "So, prove to us that you have a life."  
  
Cam rolled his eyes and glared at Hunter. "Do you want to get out of here before Sailor Kosh comes back, or what?"  
  
"Sorry," Blake squeaked apologetically, sounding as if Cam's words hurt more than his head injury.  
  
"Easy, bro, Cam's just trying to concentrate," Hunter said gently, squeezing Blake's hand again.  
  
Cam put a comforting hand on Blake's shoulder. "You're OK. We'll get you home and get you something to eat."  
  
"Home?" Hunter asked, his voice rising about an octave in surprise. He hoped he didn't look as unsettled as he felt.  
  
"Ninja Ops, rather," Cam said, correcting himself. "Depending on Blake's condition, I may need you two to stay over for a couple days."  
  
"Is Hunter OK?" Blake asked, trying to sit up and looking rather fuzzy, as if he couldn't quite focus.  
  
"I'm fine," Hunter said, gently holding his brother against the ground, trying to prevent him from getting up.  
  
"I just know better than to try to separate the two of you," Cam said, grinning.  
  
"Good," Hunter said firmly. He looked over at Cam. "So... I keep an eye on Blake here, and you work?"  
  
Cam nodded, returning to his probing of Blake's morpher. "I should. Blake, stay down."  
  
Hunter and Blake started playing some bizarre game with their fingers. Cam supposed it had something to do with their childhood. He couldn't quite figure it out, but he had determined it couldn't hurt Blake. And it was quiet.  
  
Cam set himself to work on modifying Blake's morpher. He was glad to have an extra screwdriver stashed in his jacket.  
  
* * *  
  
Shane leaned on Cam's console, not caring that Cam would normally have a hissyfit about it. At the moment, Cam wasn't there to notice.  
  
Instead, his virtual duplicate, CyberCam, was typing away; a dizzying array of displays and readouts flashed up and then disappeared. Sensei was standing on the other side of CyberCam, leaning forward thoughtfully, as if he understood what was going on. Which may or may not have meant anything.  
  
"Anything?" Tori asked anxiously, coming up behind them. She bit her lip as she waited for CyberCam's answer.  
  
"Nothing," CyberCam said. "I'm looking, I'm looking, but they vanished. Poof! I'm not getting any readings. Nada." He shook his head in frustration.  
  
Shane put a comforting arm around Tori's shoulders. "I don't like this," he said.  
  
"I do not sense that it was because of Lothor's alien," Sensei said, gently, as if to calm Shane and the others. "Whatever caused this, I do not sense evil intent."  
  
"Right," Shane said, turning back to the display again, trying to keep out of the way of CyberCam's display. "But keep looking."  
  
"No, dude, I'm gonna give up and go to the beach," CyberCam said sarcastically, not looking away from the screen.  
  
Dustin frowned at that. "Now isn't the time to go back to your old programming, dude."  
  
CyberCam spared the console from his attention long enough to glare at Dustin.  
  
"Well, the Cam sarcasm with the CyberCam lingo is whacked," Dustin said with a shrug, as if that explained his rather impolite remark.  
  
"I believe this is what Cam meant by 'times of high emotional stress'," CyberCam said. He shook his head and turned his attention back to the computer.  
  
"Great. Could you *please* just find Cam?" Shane asked.  
  
"And Blake," Tori said, then added, "and Hunter," as an afterthought.  
  
"I'm trying," CyberCam said impatiently.  
  
"Dude, let's let him be," Dustin said, clapping each of his friends on a shoulder. "I'm sure that he's, like, trying. And, who knows, Cam'll get himself out of there."  
  
Shane shook his head and started pacing.  
  
* * *  
  
Cam put down Blake's morpher and rubbed his eyes in frustration.  
  
"You OK, bro?" Hunter asked, as Cam stretched and glared at the helpless morpher.  
  
"I can detect that somebody *might* be trying to reach us, but I can't lock onto our usual frequency," Cam said, picking up the morpher again. "I think the nature of this bubble might be interfering."  
  
"They're looking, that's good, right?" Blake asked, moving his head slightly to look at Cam's shoes.  
  
"Depends on how you're feeling," Cam said, sitting down to look at Blake again. He'd switched back to 'medic' mode again. Blake quietly groaned.  
  
"Don't ask," Blake said. "Just tell me when I can get up."  
  
"Not anytime soon," Cam replied. "You lie back. I'll see if I can match the frequency."  
  
"You sure you don't need a break, Cam?" Hunter asked, nudging in the direction of Blake's morpher. "You don't want to mess that up."  
  
Cam sighed, putting the morpher back together again and putting it in a vest pocket. "You're right. And the others currently have more resources than we do; maybe they'll figure out how to get in touch."  
  
Hunter nodded, a smile slowly spreading across his face. "Why don't we compare growing up at Ninja academies?" he asked.  
  
Cam frowned, his eyes shooting daggers at Hunter.  
  
"Hey, it's something to talk about, and maybe you can take a fresh look at our communications problem later," Hunter suggested with a shrug. "'Sides, we do have that in common."  
  
Cam grinned ruefully. "I guess that's true," he said grudgingly.  
  
"I know it's kind of a sore spot, since you couldn't train as Ninja at all... but how can Shane and the others understand growing up as the sensei's son? Or sons, in our case," Hunter said, cocking his head at his little brother.  
  
"I don't know how you guys managed to train under Sensei Omino and still be his sons," Cam said as he pursed his lips. "There were times I got such weird comments just for being Dad's son I was very glad I wasn't also a student."  
  
"Sensei Omino didn't brook anything like that," Blake explained. He attempted to get up, took one look at Hunter's glare, and settled back down again, grimacing.  
  
"Yeah," Hunter added, to keep the discussion going. "You didn't say anything about the Sensei's kids. Real or adopted."  
  
"No funny looks?" Cam said, indicating Hunter. After all, Blake could possibly pass, but Hunter? He'd seen a picture of Sensei Omino, once, and there was no way Hunter, who was tall, blonde, and lanky, could be his son. "And you're not his real sons?"  
  
"*Our* parents are our real parents," Hunter explained.  
  
"Sides," Blake said, "We weren't the first kids that he helped raise after their parents' deaths. We have an older sister too."  
  
Cam raised an eyebrow at that.  
  
"Her name's Leanne," Hunter said by way of explanation. "We don't know where she is."  
  
"She wasn't at the Thunder Academy?" Cam asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"She was studying in Nepal," Blake said, turning a little bit towards Cam. "We're trying to get in touch with her, but it's not like she left her phone number."  
  
"And the only reason I have any way to contact her whatsoever is she forgot my regular address and used my Yahoo! account," Hunter added, glancing down at his brother. "Otherwise, her current email address would be in the Thunder Academy's computer in Lothor's ship."  
  
Cam nodded gravely. "I was lucky that, not being a Ninja, I didn't exist to Lothor's forces," he said. "Otherwise I'd be up in that ship too."  
  
Hunter shuddered. "And then where would we be?"  
  
Blake squeezed Hunter's hand.  
  
"Without a sixth Ranger," Cam said simply. "Or maybe not even here, if I hadn't gone back to the past."  
  
"I don't even want to think about that," Blake said, trying to move.  
  
"Still bro," Hunter said, steadying him.  
  
"I'm getting kinda stiff," Blake said, looking pleadingly at Hunter.  
  
"Blake, stay still," Cam said. "Worry about moving around later. When I can get you under observation at Ops."  
  
"Got any ideas on how to get more comfortable?" Blake asked, turning his pleading look at Cam  
  
"Not much," Cam said. "Maybe I should get back to getting us back to Ops so I can put you on a bed. In the meantime...." He turned to Hunter. "Can I borrow your uniform jacket?"  
  
Hunter looked startled, but quickly stripped down to his dark undershirt and handed the jacket to Cam. Cam folded it and placed it near Blake's head. "Stay still."  
  
"Ok," Blake said, tensing up.  
  
"Try to relax," Cam said softly, resting a hand on Blake's arm for a moment.  
  
"Can I at least have a pillow?" Blake said, throwing Cam passable puppy dog eyes. "Before you don't hear us for half an hour?"  
  
Cam rolled his eyes, a grin tugging at his lips. "What do you think the jacket's for? I need you to relax, let me do the moving, and above all, don't wiggle, you'll jostle yourself too much."  
  
"Right," Blake said. He wrinkled his nose. "Ugh."  
  
"Ugh?" Hunter asked, his tone lightly teasing. "Come on, bro, think of it as meditation practice."  
  
"Right, by the end of this I'll have done mine for the *week*. Maybe the *month*," Blake whined.  
  
"You don't like meditation practice?" Cam asked, startled.  
  
"Blake? Sit still?" Hunter chuckled. Blake looked like he would have swatted him if not restrained.  
  
"Ever try Tai Chi?" Cam asked. Blake looked at him funny, and relaxed in an unguarded moment. Cam used the opportunity to gently raise his head and slip the jacket under it.  
  
"'Sides, your father's bigger on the meditation practice than Sensei Omino ever was," Hunter said, as if Cam had never spoken. He turned towards Blake. "How do you feel, bro?"  
  
"I won't be running any marathons, but I want to get up and do something," Blake confessed.  
  
Cam sighed, getting the morpher out again. "I'll try to get us in contact with Ops."  
  
"Poor Blake," Hunter said, looking at his brother, amused. "The one time he has to stay still and there's no TV around."  
  
"If I could tell you to sit on him, I would," Cam said with a bit of levity in his voice. "In the meantime, you two will have to be on your best behaviour."  
  
"And look out for Sailor Kosh. Got it," Hunter said. He turned and smiled brightly at his brother. "Come on, Blake. Rock, Paper, Scissors?"  
  
Blake groaned and weakly raised a fist.  
  
* * *  
  
"Dude, you didn't have to, like, get us tossed out of Ops," Dustin complained as the three of them walked together outside their secret headquarters. "It's, like, sprinking!"  
  
"Excuse me for not trusting CyberCam!" Shane snapped, glaring at his yellow teammate.  
  
"All the more reason NOT to piss him off," Dustin said, rubbing his hands up and down his arms, as if cold. As if it ever got cold in California.  
  
"Will you two chill? Sensei's still watching him. He's not gonna let CyberCam let anything happen to Bla-- *Cam*," Tori corrected herself vehemently. Last thing she needed was Shane or Dustin teasing her.  
  
Her two teammates exchanged wan smiles. "I just don't trust CyberCam," Shane insisted.  
  
"Do you know how to do frequency manipulation?" Tori asked rhetorically, spreading her arms out. "If you don't, then let CyberCam do his job. Cam can always reprogram him when he gets back."  
  
"I just want to do... something," Shane said helplessly. He kicked at a loose rock.  
  
"What can we do? It's not like we know anything about running Ops," Dustin said, running the toe of his boot along the ground.  
  
"After this, I'm going to paste myself to Cam's shoulder so that I can do that," Shane said, vehemently, picking up a rock and tossing it into the distance. "Even if he k-destroys me for it."  
  
"Good luck, Dude," Dustin said, his tone indicating he thought Shane would need it. Dustin shivered. "Let's find somewhere dry, I'm getting soaked."  
  
"I second that," Tori said, heading towards the portal and her parked van.  
  
* * *  
  
"Half a second," Cam grumbled to nobody in particular. Blake's morpher had burst into what sounded vaguely like Cam's voice and then into a loud static until Cam had made an adjustment.  
  
"What, bro?" Hunter asked, trying not to lean over Cam and block all of his light.  
  
"Almost have it," Cam said, as if Hunter didn't exist. Or didn't matter.  
  
"Good," Hunter said. He kept his eye out for the return of any visitors. After all, with Cam in full technogeek mode, and Blake helpless, somebody had to protect both of them. And right at the moment, that somebody was him.  
  
Cam fiddled again, and the burst of static became louder.  
  
Blake sighed, getting Hunter's attention. "Bro, can I move yet?"  
  
"No," Cam and Hunter chorused, their voices extremely firm.  
  
"Great, now I have two mother hens," Blake grumbled, scrubbing his face with his hands.  
  
"I haven't adopted you," Cam said exasperatedly. "But I am...."  
  
"The team medic. I know, I know," Blake said, frustration coloring his tone.  
  
"You're gonna be fine," Cam said confidently. "I can see how bad the damage is once we get you to Ops, and see what we can do to prevent it. In the meantime..."  
  
"Stay still," Blake said, in a voice that was both sing-song and very annoyed.  
  
"Right." Cam fiddled with the insides of Blake's morpher again. "I think I may have it this time." He fiddled with something else. "Cam for Ops."  
  
Nothing happened. But at least there was no static.  
  
Cam sighed, his shoulders sagging.  
  
The morpher crackled to life. "...Cybercam... do... read?"  
  
"Barely," Cam said, excitedly. "We're trapped in a dimensional bubble. As soon as communications stabilize I'll send you the data."  
  
Blake nearly covered his ears as Cam's voice got louder by the word, as if he was trying to talk over traffic. Or a construction site.  
  
"Locked ... signal. Teleport?" CyberCam's voice came through another burst of static.  
  
"Negative. Let me try to clear up the signal," Cam said, making some adjustments to Blake's morpher.  
  
"Copy that," CyberCam said. Hunter tried not to shake his head. Was Cam the only person who couldn't see how much he and his cyber double were alike?  
  
"CyberCam, keep talking," Cam requested, poking something delicate-looking.  
  
"Right. By the way, the other three Rangers... practicing in the rain. Correction: Were... in rain."  
  
Cam made some more adjustments, closing the morpher with a flourish. "Why were they in the rain?"  
  
"They were driving me nuts, dude. I had to kick them into Ninja Ops," CyberCam said, his voice coming through without any static. "I have a really clear lock now. Can I teleport you guys now?"  
  
"You sure he's all right?" Hunter asked, indicating the voice on the other end.  
  
"He's all right," Cam said, rolling his eyes at Hunter's paranoia. "Yes, please. Teleport."  
  
The bubble dissipated around them and they found themselves in Ops, with Blake laying on the center table. The Winds stood in the doorway, and soon rushed towards them.  
  
"Blake," Tori said, perching precariously on the edge of the table next to him.  
  
"Gentle, he's hurt," Cam warned, his voice kind. His father jumped onto his shoulder.  
  
"Can I get a pillow?" Blake asked hopefully. "A real pillow?"  
  
Cam nodded sympathetically. "I'll get you one while I'm getting the medical scanner out."  
  
"Thanks," Blake sighed with relief.  
  
"You OK?" Tori asked, gently caressing his cheek.  
  
"Just really stiff," Blake managed a weak smile.  
  
"Cam doesn't want him getting up before he gets scanned," Hunter explained, hovering over his brother protectively. Even though he realized the Winds were no threat, Blake was still helpless.  
  
"A wise precaution," Sensei said, hopping onto the table next to Blake.  
  
"I'm just a little stiff," Blake protested, turning his head very slightly to look at the guinea pig form.  
  
"Bro, just lay still," Hunter pleaded at him. "Unless you want Cam to be perverse and figure out how to bring Sailor Kosh into our universe or something like that."  
  
Blake scrunched up his face. "I don't think he has to worry about that," Cam said, shuddering as he came in.  
  
"Sailor Kosh?" Dustin asked, his face full of surprise. "Dude! Don't tell me Lothor's mixing up anime with Babylon 5."  
  
"Long story," Cam said. He glared at Blake. "Blake, stay still before I find a way to *make* you stay still."  
  
"Fine," Blake grumbled, not moving, precisely as instructed.  
  
Cam ran the scanner along Blake, paying close attention to his head. "A mild concussion, and no injury to the neck... or the rest of the spinal chord."  
  
"So why are you frowning?" Hunter asked, trying to hover over the readout.  
  
"I want him to stay overnight," Cam said, not paying much attention to Hunter. "At least until I can make sure he's all right."  
  
Blake sighed. "Anybody want to hear the opinion of the patient, here?" he asked.  
  
"No," Cam said. "If it makes you feel better, you can sit up now, but I'd prefer it if you do so gently and lie back down in a few minutes. Ideally in the guest room so you don't have to get up too much. The table's not really comfortable anyway."  
  
"You got that right," Blake said, a grin spreading across his face. "So that means I can get up and walk?"  
  
"See how you do sitting up first," Cam said, putting the scanner away.  
  
Blake gingerly got up, with leaning heavily against Hunter's proffered arm and using Tori's shoulder for balance. "See, I'm sitting up," he said.  
  
Cam nodded indulgently, not saying anything.  
  
Blake leaned against his brother for support. "Man, that's taking a lot of work."  
  
Hunter just wrapped a protective arm around Blake, trying to hide his sudden contentment.  
  
"That's why I want to keep you under observation," Cam said. He looked at the three other Rangers. "The three of you should go home. It's been a very long day, and I want Blake to rest. And eat."  
  
Blake's eyes lit up at the suggestion of food.  
  
"OK, bro, you rest," Dustin said, nearly slapping Blake on the arm... but deciding not to at the last minute.  
  
"Take care, Blake," Tori said, squeezing his hand and smiling down at him.  
  
Blake smiled over at Tori. "I will."  
  
Dustin was halfway out the door. "See you later, dudes. Tor, you coming?"  
  
Tori seemed not able to get out of there, but she eventually got up reluctantly and headed out.  
  
Shane knelt next to them, looking at Cam. "Let us know if anything happens. Then teach one of us how to use the system!" He was out of there before Cam could reply.  
  
"Why on Earth would he want that?" Cam mused, mystified. Shane was the last person he'd expect to be interested in Ops' system.  
  
Hunter shrugged, busy concentrating on Blake. "Don't know."  
  
Blake balanced himself, still looking unsteady. "Can I please get off this table?"  
  
"Just a minute," Cam said gently, "then I'll help Hunter get you to your room."  
  
"My room?" Blake echoed in surprise.  
  
"I mean the guest room," Cam corrected absently.  
  
"You aren't adopting us or anything, are you, Cam?" Hunter teased lightly.  
  
"We're out of the bubble," Cam said matter-of-factly, "I don't have to be nice."  
  
"Hey, it's nice of you to let us stay here while you make sure Blake's okay. Really appreciate that, bro," Hunter said. He shuddered inwardly. He didn't mind Ops... he'd seen the guest room once or twice... but he didn't want to move in. Moving in meant something, and he didn't think he was ready for that yet.  
  
"Thanks for taking care of me," Blake added as Cam helped Hunter help Blake to his feet.  
  
"Anytime," Cam said and started them walking-- gingerly-- towards the corridor and the guest room.  
  
They walked slowly until they reached Ops' spare room, where Cam nudged the two brothers in the direction of the room's single bed. "Hunter, the couch is a hide-a-bed."  
  
"Gotcha," Hunter said as they helped Blake onto the bed. Blake lay back on the bed, and Hunter couldn't help but notice the green comforter folded neatly at the feet of the bed. He figured it had to be an extra-long twin bed by the space Blake had at his feet.  
  
"Blake, you'll have to stay awake for a while longer, but I'll fix dinner. Hunter, you keep him awake," Cam ordered.  
  
"Bro, sure you're not tired yourself?" Hunter asked, seeing the crow's feet under Cam's eyes.  
  
Cam glared at him from the top of his glasses. "No." He walked out of the room.  
  
"Bro, I don't think he's in good shape either," Blake said, motioning after the retreating Cam.  
  
"He looks worried," Hunter frowned, remembering Cam's expression. "Something about that scan has him freaked."  
  
"Maybe it's a major concussion and I have to be kept up all night," Blake sighed. "Exactly what I need on top of the rest of today."  
  
Hunter patted his shoulder gently. "You're gonna be OK. Cam's on the case."  
  
"I know," Blake said. Then he looked at Hunter, panic in his eyes. "He's on the case? You don't think..."  
  
"Nah, he'd have said something," Hunter said, trying to sound like the thought had occurred to him, but was nothing to worry about.  
  
"When we get home, we gotta talk," Blake said. He didn't want to mention that the granola bars really hadn't helped. Not to Cam. Not with someone with enough authority to keep him here.  
  
"Look, Cam speaks his mind. He'll say something," Hunter insisted. He tried to come off sounding as if he were the authority on all things Cam.  
  
"That's what I'm worried about," Blake confessed, eyes narrowing. He didn't want to stay here. Sensei Omino would never forgive them.  
  
"It'll be OK, dude," Hunter said, brushing Blake's renegade bangs out of his eyes, and gently patting his shoulder.  
  
* * *  
  
Cam came in around an hour later with a tray full of food. It was a giant stir fry, with every kind of chinese vegetable Hunter could think of, and some American ones like broccoli and carrots. There was also brown rice, milk, water, and a couple of juice boxes labeled rice dream.  
  
"Can you both tolerate regular milk?" Cam asked, setting things out on the table.  
  
"Yeah," Hunter said, restraining himself from just grabbing the food. That would give far too much away. "Sensei Omino can't, though."  
  
"I'll remember that for future reference," Cam said, picking up a plate and starting to dish food on it. "Rice underneath or on the side?"  
  
"Side," Hunter said. "Both of us."  
  
"OK," Cam said. He dished large helpings of both rice and stir fry onto the plates, handing them to each of them.  
  
"Thanks, bro," Blake said, accepting the plate eagerly.  
  
Hunter grinned amicably. "Appreciate this."  
  
"Drink all your milk," Cam said as he dished some for himself.  
  
Hunter frowned as he dug in. It was clear Cam wanted to make sure they cleaned their plates. Not that he minded-- he was starving, and the granola bars they'd bought hadn't really helped. It did, however, worry him a little.  
  
"Cam, did you make dinner for an army?" Blake asked, clearly shocked at the portion sizes. "I can't eat all this!"  
  
"Well, you can always take some of the leftovers with you," Cam said with a mischievous smile.  
  
"Can you make more?" Hunter asked hopefully. "This is *good*."  
  
"I'll give you the recipe," Cam offered off-handedly.  
  
"Thanks," Hunter said. They probably couldn't afford what went into it... but they weren't admitting that to Cam, either. As an afterthought, he added, "Not that either of us can cook, except in a microwave."  
  
"I'll have to give you guys lessons," Cam grinned knowingly.  
  
"Sounds good," Blake said, thinking they'd get to eat those lessons. He grinned back.  
  
"So," Hunter said, "After dinner, what next? For Blake, I mean." He looked over at his little brother, a worried expression on his face.  
  
"We can let him sleep a bit, but he has to be woken up every few hours," Cam said, with the same authority he gave for every medical problem.  
  
Hunter nodded. "Extra-loud alarm," he said cryptically.  
  
"Huh?" Cam asked, confused.  
  
"We both sleep like the dead," Blake explained. "If the alarm isn't loud, we'll sleep right through it."  
  
"Oh," Cam said, nonplussed. "Then I'll have to make sure Blake's woken up." He nodded toward the food. "You're not eating."  
  
"I'm not feeling too well," Blake said, touching his stomach.  
  
"You need to eat," Cam replied gently. "You're probably a little low on blood sugar. Eat, you'll feel better, I promise."  
  
Blake nodded, and experimentally took another bite, chewing slowly. Hunter finished off his plate, then contemplated eating the plate.  
  
"You want more, Hunter? There's plenty," Cam wheedled.  
  
Hunter didn't need to be told twice, he took more stir fry and more rice.  
  
"You'd think you hadn't eaten for a week," Blake teased.  
  
"Big person. Big stomach," Hunter replied matter-of-factly. "I eat people out of house and home."  
  
Cam smiled. "Try it, I dare you," he said, tone full of challenge.  
  
"Okay," Hunter said, working on his second plateful. "It's not my fault this is so good."  
  
"Or that your stomach's too big for words," Blake added, his tone teasing.  
  
"He's a growing boy," Cam said, smiling at that. Or maybe some private joke. They were never too sure with Cam.  
  
Blake chuckled. "I'll never catch up." He took another couple bites, gingerly, as if he was afraid most of it would be illusion.  
  
"Bro, eat more," Hunter said, nudging Blake. He'd wanted to raid Cam's fridge before, but it was even better, having Cam-cooked food. And they didn't have to sneak it out in their uniforms. On the bad side, he had this bad suspicion that Cam knew that he'd had only a granola bar for breakfast that morning.  
  
"I'm working on it," Blake said, after he'd swallowed a mouthful. "It's helping... I'm just... maybe a little dizzy?"  
  
"Drink some water, you're probably a bit dehydrated," Cam said, handing him the glass. "That bubble was dry."  
  
"Thanks, bro," Blake said, drinking it slowly but eagerly. "I guess I am."  
  
"Maybe I should have some too," Hunter said, reaching for a glass.  
  
"Can't hurt," Cam said. "The water's good for dehydration, but be sure to drink your milk too."  
  
"Yes, Sensei," Blake teased.  
  
Cam rolled his eyes. "Not *yet*."  
  
"He meant you were acting like Sensei Omino," Hunter explained.  
  
"Oh," Cam said, nonplussed. "Anyway, the food and drinks should help... you must not have had much in the way of breakfast before we went into battle."  
  
"Hazard of being a Ranger, dude," Hunter said carelessly.  
  
"Got called away from the table," Blake said, looking directly at his food instead of at Cam or Hunter.  
  
Cam frowned, and Hunter tried to cover. "Yeah, I guess food's not been on our minds the last few. You know, I think those aliens have a sixth sense for when you're trying to eat?" He grinned as he said that.  
  
"Yeah, they're a pain," Cam said irritably. "I can't count the number of lunches I've had to throw back into the microwave."  
  
Hunter nodded and devoured his lunch. He tried to be slow enough so Cam didn't guess that this was going to be the Big Meal of the Day. It was bad luck that he and Blake had run out of their store-brand breakfast cereal the day before payday.  
  
Cam just smiled and brought up the impending release of the new Harry Potter book.  
  
* * *  
  
Blake had finally been allowed to doze. "So, what's *really* wrong with him?" Hunter asked, following Cam out of their room with the tray with the remains of their meal.  
  
"He's concussed, got banged up," Cam said casually as he led Hunter to the kitchen.  
  
"Cam, don't lie to me," Hunter said sternly.  
  
"It's nothing a little TLC won't cure," Cam said gently, patting Hunter's shoulder.  
  
Hunter sighed in relief. Cam didn't know. Hey may suspect, but he didn't know. "Thanks. I worry, y'know?"  
  
"I know," Cam said, smiling disarmingly. "Do you want to come watch TV or borrow a book and stay with Blake?"  
  
"I'll stay with Blake," Hunter said decisively, leaning on the wall of the kitchen. "Have fun. Knock when it's time to wake him up."  
  
"OK, you like sci-fi? Fantasy?" Cam asked, starting to tick off genres on his fingers.  
  
Hunter shrugged nonchalantly, grinning before starting to inch backwards towards the guest room.  
  
"I'll find you something," Cam promised. "Let me know if Blake has any problems."  
  
"Right," Hunter said. Like he wouldn't. Cam was the best person to be around Blake right now, and Hunter knew it.  
  
* * *  
  
"Blake, time to wake up," Hunter said, turning the radio up extra loud.  
  
"Wha... huh...." Blake said. He blinked, then rubbed his eyes. "Bro, turn the jackhammer off."  
  
"Right," Hunter said, obligingly turning off the radio. "Wanted to make sure you're all right. Last thing we need is you having a concussion *and* Cam figuring out about our breakfast. And our dinner last night."  
  
"Lunch was awesome though," Blake said feelingly, a big grin on his face.  
  
"Wait 'til you smell dinner," Hunter said, expression mirroring Blake's. "I feel sorry for Sensei, having to eat guinea pig chow with those awesome smells around here."  
  
"Yeah," Blake agreed, heartily. "But till then, I'm gonna sleep, okay, bro?"  
  
"You gotta stay up another couple minutes," Hunter said, sternly. "Cam said five was good."  
  
"Great," Blake said. "He think he's my big brother, or something?"  
  
"No, the team medic," Hunter corrected adamantly. "Middle brother, if anything. Big brother's my job."  
  
"Dude, he's older," Blake pointed out reasonably. "Even if you are taller."  
  
"I'm taller, so I get to decide family order here," Hunter said playfully. "He's shorter than I am, so he's the middle brother."  
  
"I think he's right about your logic," Blake said simply, moving the pillow slightly.  
  
Hunter shrugged, reaching out to help him. "I never said I was logical. I am hungry, though."  
  
"When's dinner?" Blake asked, in an attempt to change the subject.  
  
"Another half an hour, I think," Hunter said. He looked at the clock.  
  
"Wake me up then?" Blake asked, lying back against the pillow, satisfied with the placement.  
  
"Right," Hunter said, ruffling his brother's hair as Blake cozied up again.  
  
"Stay close, OK?" Blake asked, trying not to close his eyes.  
  
"Always, li'l bro. Always." Hunter avoided mussing Blake's hair, but kept a close eye on him.  
  
* * *  
  
"So, how are Blake and Hunter?" Shane asked the next day. He'd kept true to his promise to hang over Cam's shoulder.  
  
Cam frowned, trying to decide how much to tell him.  
  
"Well?" Shane prompted impatiently.  
  
"Over the effects of the bubble universe," Cam said evasively.  
  
"But...." Shane prompted, his frustration growing.  
  
"I'm not required to tell you, Shane," Cam said, sternly. "In fact, when it comes to the team's medical condition, I think a degree of privacy..."  
  
"It's my team," Shane reminded him. "Blake and Hunter are my teammates. And I worry. Besides, Dustin has something to say."  
  
Dustin shuffled forward, clearly nervous. "Blake, like, left his English book at Storm Chargers," he said hesitantly.  
  
"And?" Cam asked, his voice making it clear he didn't see what the big deal was.  
  
"Well, when you'd said they'd gone home, I pulled their employment records to get their phone number and give them a call," Dustin said, shifting from foot to foot.  
  
Cam read the body language like a book. "What's wrong, Dustin?" Cam asked, though he suspected he knew.  
  
"It's... um... not that..." Dustin stammered, unable to bring himself to say what needed to be said.  
  
Cam decided it was time to put the Yellow Ranger out of his misery. "Are they living in the bad part of town?" Cam asked gently.  
  
"Yeah, dude." Dustin paused, looking at Cam with new respect. "Like, how'd you know?"  
  
"I tracked them there shortly after they joined the team," Cam said tiredly. "They denied it and... I figured they'd ask for help on their own before it got too bad."  
  
"And?" Shane asked. He leaned forward, as if to tap a key on Cam's keyboard.  
  
"Let's just say if Hunter's as bad as Blake, it's gotten too bad," Cam said, sighing and moving Shane's hand away. "I gave them a highly nutritious few meals over the last day, and leftovers to take home. That should help, but..."  
  
"They're not eating right?" Tori asked, her face full of worry.  
  
"Based on what I saw, they've been probably living on granola bars and ramen," Cam said grimly. "It's time to get them out of there. We're not going to have a team if they pass out from malnutrition."  
  
"What do we do?" Tori asked. "I mean, it's not like we can force them to eat properly."  
  
"I don't think they can afford to eat properly," Cam said, turning his chair around, deep in thought. "I thought it was weird when they eschewed the plates when I took them to Sam's... but I forgot they were living on stockboys' pay."  
  
"We need to find them someplace safe with really cheap rent," Shane said, standing up and shifting anxiously. He wasn't sure how to accomplish such a daunting task.  
  
"Like the Ninja Ops Guest Room?" Dustin asked, looking pointedly at Shane. If he could see the solution, why couldn't the Red Ranger?  
  
"That's what I was thinking," Cam acknowledged, with a pleased smile. "It'll allow me to monitor their diet and make sure that they stay healthy."  
  
"Not to mention safe," Shane added as he settled back down, clearly relieved.  
  
"There's a ton of old boxes at Storm Chargers we could use," Dustin suggested helpfully.  
  
"Good," Cam said, a tone of finality to his voice. "We're getting them out of there. Now."  
  
Three heads nodded in agreement.  
  
The End 


	5. First Night postSoaR

Disclaimer: Characters and situations are the property of BVE and Village Roadshow pictures. No copyright infringement is intended.  
  
Author's Notes: For the whole story on Blake and Hunter moving into Ninja Ops, you can read Beth's "Moving Day" (at http://home.earthlink.net/~tptigger42/moving_day.html). You don't have to have read that to understand this, however. We place this sometime after Scent of a Ranger and before I Love Lothor.  
  
First Night by Beth Epstein (tptigger) and Selma McCrory (EstiRose)  
  
Hunter came out of the bathroom, dressed in baggy crimson sweatpants and a very faded moto x t-shirt, and collapsed onto the unfolded hide-a-bed. "How you settling in, bro?"  
  
"I'm okay," Blake said, sitting cross-legged on his own bed, wearing similar navy sleep wear. "I can't believe we're here. I can't believe that all this happened today."  
  
He knew Hunter knew what he'd meant, with the three Winds and Cam showing up at the doorway of their shoddy "apartment" and demanding they move out. They probably should have protested more, but even he and Hunter could see that it was a bad place... and at least with the Winds and Cam moving them in here made it easier to justify to their foster father.  
  
Hunter nodded, a grin tugging at his mouth. "Yeah, but it's bedtime and it's actually *quiet*. How cool is that?"  
  
"Almost as cool as dinner," Blake grinned in return. Then he sobered. "What scares me is what happens when Sensei O. finds out."  
  
"Cam and the Winds showed up at the door," Hunter reminded him. "We could've refused, but they just would've brought Sensei W. in. And he doesn't strike me as the type to let us stay there. What could we do?"  
  
"Right," Blake said, trying to imagine what would have happened if they'd refused and Cam had come back with his father. "At least Cam didn't tell his dad where we were. I don't want to think what would have happened if he did...."  
  
"Cam was dead serious about the 20 mile jogs," Hunter said quietly. "A month seems a little long, though."  
  
Blake shrugged, shifting as he tried to get comfortable on the lone bed in the room. At least it had a good mattress. But that's all that could be said about it.  
  
"Having trouble settling in all of a sudden, bro?" Hunter asked, getting up.  
  
"This doesn't seem quite as comfortable as it did when I had a concussion," Blake replied, inspecting the bed as if he were seeing it for the very first time.  
  
"Hey, at least you're not on *this* bed," Hunter told him, indicating where he was sitting. "This hide-a-bed has a really thin mattress."  
  
"I heard Sensei and Cam talk about bunk beds," Blake offered his brother reassurance the uncomfortable bed was a temporary inconvenience. "I bet the hide-a-bed's not going to be here for much longer. We're getting ourselves moved in whether we want to or not."  
  
Hunter smiled and obtrusively checked his watch. "It took you six hours bro?"  
  
Blake chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Just not used to this, bro. We went from being hungry and just us to living with the head of the Wind Academy and his son. And invited to raid the fridge whenever we want."  
  
"Gotta love that perk," Hunter said, leaning back and stretching. "Even if Cam is gonna be monitoring what we eat for awhile."  
  
"Nutrition's a pain," Blake said adamantly. "It could be worse, though, bro."  
  
"Cam could be more anal?" Hunter joked lightly. "I raided one of those small ice cream bars in the freezer. They're pretty good."  
  
"You do realize they're tofu," Blake said, grimacing at the thought.  
  
"Well, I wouldn't hold it against them," Hunter standing up. "Want to go to the kitchen and get a couple?"  
  
"Dude, we just brushed our teeth! And Cam isn't anal, per se, just worried," Blake corrected, going back to Hunter's earlier comment.  
  
"When Cam gets worried, he gets a glint in his eye," Hunter said, his tone warning. "And then he gets anal. You remember how much of a pain he was as a hostage?  
  
"Dude, do you *blame* him?" Blake asked, sitting up again.  
  
"No," Hunter said meekly. "We seem to be doing some really *stupid* stuff lately. I don't even wanna know how he tracked us."  
  
"Our morphers, maybe?" Blake suggested, biting his lip.  
  
"Probably," Hunter said, nodding in agreement. "I should have known he was up to something at Target."  
  
"Just as well he was," Blake pointed out. "Otherwise we'd have gotten sick before anyone knew something was wrong."  
  
"Yeah." Hunter nodded in agreement. "Cam practically sitting on us and explaining what was going wrong wasn't fun, but at least we now know what's going on."  
  
Blake also nodded. "And why I was feeling crappy all the time."  
  
Hunter sat up. "Why didn't you say something?"  
  
"You had enough to worry about," Blake said, shrugging as if it didn't matter.  
  
Hunter beckoned.  
  
Blake eyed him skeptically, but got up and approached the hide-a-bed.  
  
"Bro," Hunter said, motioning towards a spot on the unfolded bed, "Sit down. We need to have another talk."  
  
"Cam went through this using lots of small words," Blake complained, still not sitting down. "Can we skip it? It wasn't one of my brighter moments."  
  
Hunter grabbed Blake's shoulder, and pulled him down.  
  
"Dude!" Blake exclaimed in protest, rolling instinctively to a more defensible position.  
  
"Blake. I'm the older brother here. You should *tell* me when you're getting sick," Hunter said sternly, putting his hand back on Blake's shoulder.  
  
Blake shook off Hunter's hand and stood up again, away from his brother. "What could you have done?"  
  
Hunter shrugged, moved across the bed, and pulled Blake back down, this time into a hug. "I don't know. Something. Might have just made things easier for Cam, but..."  
  
Blake tried to pull away, but Hunter wasn't letting go. "Hunter, I'm OK."  
  
"I'm not."  
  
"Great," Blake muttered as Hunter buried his face in Blake's shoulder. "So we get sick and we walk right into the Winds' hands."  
  
"Is it that bad a place to be?" Hunter asked, pulling Blake backwards so they were lying on the bed.  
  
"Overprotective much?" Blake asked in protest, squirming into a more comfortable position next to Hunter.  
  
"Big brother's privilege," Hunter answered softly. "Same reason I get the hide-a-bed and you get the regular bed."  
  
Blake shifted a little, clearly still getting comfortable. "You're gonna make me move?"  
  
"Not right now," Hunter said sleepily. "'Sides, at least I know you're here and not missing...."  
  
"Do I look like I'm missing to you?" Blake said, exasperated.  
  
"Missing more meals than you should," Hunter pointed out.  
  
"You were more hungry than you let on, weren't you bro?" Blake asked. He'd had to be careful how hungry he looked, because Hunter would often wheedle him into eating the last bit of food, even if he'd all ready had more than Hunter.  
  
"Doesn't matter," Hunter said, still holding Blake.  
  
"Yes, it does, but it's a moot point," Blake said, yawning sleepily.  
  
"Yeah, Cam'll get after us if we don't eat," Hunter said, ruffling Blake's hair and reaching for a blanket to cover Blake with. "And the last thing we need is to eat all the time."  
  
"Cam does mother hen very well," Blake said, yawning again.  
  
"Yeah, well with you I need all the help I can get," Hunter said, spreading the blanket over them and wrapping his arms around Blake again.  
  
"I'm not that bad," Blake yawned.  
  
"Hey, I had to protect you from the moment I met you!" Hunter reminded him, his tone teasing.  
  
"Bro, go mother hen Cam," Blake said, trying to push Hunter away. "We're eating. We're safe. Deal."  
  
"'kay," Hunter said, not moving.  
  
Blake yawned pointedly.  
  
"Sweet dreams li'l bro," Hunter said, letting go long enough to turn off the lamp.  
  
Blake snuggled under the blanket. "Good night, bro," Blake said. "School tomorrow."  
  
"What else is new?" Hunter asked, snuggling back against Blake.  
  
"Being here," Blake said sleepily. "But I'll cope."  
  
"That was sarcasm, bro," Hunter said.  
  
"Hunter, shut up," Blake said affectionately.  
  
"I love you too, bro," Hunter teased, mussing his brother's hair again.  
  
Blake didn't say anything, just cuddled against his brother and eventually fell asleep.  
  
The End 


	6. Staving off Nightmares postILL

Disclaimer: Characters and situations are the property of BVE and Village Roadshow. No copyright infringement is intended.  
  
Authors' notes: This story takes place shortly after I Love Lothor. Due to real life issues on both ends, we've set a slower posting schedule of every other week until further notice. We're currently well on track to keep that schedule, so we're sticking with it.   
  
Staving Off Nightmares by Selma McCrory (EstiRose) and Beth Epstein (tptigger)  
  
"That was stupid," Cam said, making sure the remains of the fried chicken and the paper containers were safely tossed away. He should have left cleanup to Hunter or Blake, but he didn't remember whose turn it was, and besides, he was a firm believer in the idea that if you wanted a job done right, you had to do it yourself.  
  
Besides, Blake and Hunter rarely spent much time in their bedroom anyway. They seemed to avoid it, like there was something evil and dangerous in there. Which Cam was sure was untrue.  
  
Blake buried his face in the arms of the couch in what Cam called the 'rec room'. "Tell me about it! I can't believe I got her motocross tools!"  
  
"I know better than to get a girl acne wash most of the time too," Cam said, sitting next to Blake on the couch and patting his shoulder. "It was the spell."  
  
"Doesn't help much," Blake said gloomily, lifting his head and turning to Cam. "Spell or no, she thinks I'm crazy."  
  
"Blake," Cam said patiently, "this is Tori; she understands. She does have the most brains of the Winds." He looked at Blake intently, trying to reassure him with a look.  
  
"I'm never gonna get her to... to..." Blake sighed and collapsed against the couch arm again.  
  
"Blake. You. Were. Under. A. Spell." Cam tapped a finger on Blake's shoulder. "So was I. Do you think I'd ignore a giant mechanical mouse with a bow just to fight with you?"  
  
"For Tori? Why not?" Blake asked rhetorically, as if anybody in their right mind would fight him over Tori.  
  
"For one thing, I am dating someone," Cam pointed out calmly. "The spell made me forget her." He wondered if Trini would laugh or be annoyed over his antics. Since she'd probably never been under a spell before, it might be interesting to explain if she ever found out about it. Good thing she was overseas. In some ways, she was a better fighter than he was.  
  
"You're not into Tori?" Blake said, eyes lighting up. Cam tried to ignore the expression. Blake really thought he was interested in Tori? Sure, she was the brightest of the three Winds, but still...  
  
"No," Cam said, sipping at a glass of water. "First word jail, second word bait. Blake, I'm nearly twenty-six. She's not even eighteen!"  
  
"Only for another couple of months," Blake said absently, picking at some thread on the couch. Then the rest of what Cam had said sunk in. "Wait, you have a girlfriend?"  
  
"No, I'm dating your brother," Cam said sarcastically. "Yes, I have a girlfriend."  
  
"Cam, you could be dating an electronics store clerk and we wouldn't know about it," Blake said in exasperation, ignoring the potentially charged comment. He stopped picking at the threads, much to Cam's relief. "How much do we know about you, anyway?"  
  
"About as much as I know about the two of you," Cam responded, his tone pointed.  
  
"Touche," Blake said, looking up from the couch and turning to face Cam once again. "OK, ask away."  
  
"Why didn't you want to move to Ops?" Cam asked, his voice clearly concerned.  
  
Blake sighed. He'd been hoping for an easier question. Like "why were you adopted" or "have you ever gone looking for your biological parents" or "are you sorry you tried to kidnap me". But no, he got asked why he hadn't wanted to move to Ops. "We were afraid of Sensei Omino's reaction to us living with the Sensei of the Wind Academy."  
  
"Blake, he's your guardian," Cam said reasonably.  
  
"Yeah, but he's kinda distrustful of the other Ninja Academies," Blake said with a shrug.  
  
"He loves you?" Cam prompted, clearly leading somewhere.  
  
Blake just nodded. It seemed safest.  
  
"Would he want you living in that seedy hotel with not enough to eat? Getting sick?" Cam asked, his tone level.  
  
"No," Blake acknowledged, head down. He pondered the couch again. "I don't think he'd be very keen on this... but I don't think he'd like us to get sick, either." His stomach seemed to growl and looked up. "Bro, I need more to eat. Way more than what we had."  
  
"You know where the kitchen is," Cam said, smiling at that. He'd hoped Blake would be hungry again. "There's plenty of leftovers."  
  
"Good," Blake said, getting up and heading towards the doorway. He paused and looked back at Cam. "You know, it's good to be able able to say that I'm hungry?"  
  
Cam frowned, but didn't say anything at that. He reminded himself that yelling at either of the Thunders wasn't going to do him much good.  
  
"What?" Blake asked, leaning against the wall. At least it was just a casual, "I'm leaning here because I don't want to stand in the middle of the room to talk" instead of a "I'm leaning here because I'm going to collapse."  
  
"I just can't imagine how you two were feeling when we made you move in here," Cam said quietly, getting up to follow the other Ranger. "It scares me what might have happened if we hadn't pressed the issue."  
  
"You said one or the other of us would have collapsed," Blake said nonchalantly. "And I'm not sure what I would have done if it had been Hunter, and we wouldn't have been able to call for help. I kinda guess that neither of us wanted to say how bad we were. Me, especially. Kinda not a way to attract a girl, you know?"  
  
Cam gently smacked Blake over the head. "You don't keep that kind of stuff secret just for a girl."  
  
"It's a long story," Blake said with a shrug. "Besides, we didn't want you to lecture us in front of the others."  
  
"Would I do that?" Cam asked, crossing his arms.  
  
"Because you can," Blake said, nodding emphatically.  
  
Cam sighed heavily, dropping his arms to his sides. "I wouldn't embarrass you two. I just want you safe and healthy. Neither of which was true where you were. Should we move into the kitchen? I don't want you going hungry."  
  
"Good idea. Unless you want me collapsing on you," Blake said lightly, though he felt terrified that he'd do just that. He'd had a nightmare about it, to join the one about Vertigo Island.  
  
"You OK, Blake? You've gone pale," Cam said as he stepped closer to Blake.  
  
"I'll be," Blake said, covering quickly at the memory of the nightmare and walking towards Ops' small kitchen. "I tested my blood sugar. I'm at 157." He hoped Cam wouldn't come to the wrong conclusion. But then again, Cam had *scanned* him, and Cam should know he wasn't diabetic. Just paranoid.  
  
"You tested your blood sugar?" Cam repeated in disbelief. Blake wasn't diabetic, as far as he could tell. Had he missed something in his scans? Were there going to be complications? "Blake, is something wrong? You're not diabetic are you?"  
  
"No," Blake said sheepishly as they reached the kitchen, and Cam relaxed a little bit. There were reasons behind Blake's actions, but his reaction was clear enough. As Cam was pondering this, Blake added, "just being careful. I don't want to get sick."  
  
"Is there something you want to talk about?" Cam asked as Blake pulled out the chicken from the previous night and started making a sandwich. Cam quietly pondered the nutrients and remembered to add that to his database.  
  
"No," Blake said, a little too strongly and a little too quickly as he started cutting tomato slices.  
  
Cam mentally added the tomatoes to the tally and decided he needed to concentrate more on Blake's emotional well being. "Blake, what's wrong?" Cam said gently.  
  
"I don't want to talk about it," Blake said adamantly, hitting the tomato with a little too much force and causing the seeds to splash out over the cutting board. "Shoot!"  
  
"Should I sic Hunter on you?" Cam said, trying to keep his tone light and teasing so he wouldn't reveal his seriousness.  
  
"No!" Blake said vehemently. "I mean... he'd only worry."  
  
"About?" Cam patiently prompted Blake to elaborate.  
  
"Cam, let's not talk about it, okay?" Blake asked, turning around long enough to toss Cam a pleading look.  
  
"Blake, you're worrying me," Cam said frankly, his expression one of perfectly schooled concern. "Something's got you scared, and I want to know what."  
  
"It's nothing," Blake said, quickly. He turned back to cutting the tomatoes in a very precise manner  
  
"The last time you told me that, I did this scan and found out you were suffering from serious malnutrition," Cam said, crossing his arms and moving closer to Blake, "so pardon me if I don't believe you."  
  
"Look, it's something I can't even really talk to Hunter about," Blake said, looking at Cam's crossed arms. "Lay off, will you?" he asked, motioning with the knife.  
  
"I can't," Cam said, putting a hand on Blake's shoulder and gently pulling the knife away. "And telling me you can't talk to Hunter about it isn't exactly going to allay my fears."  
  
"Sometimes there are things you have to figure out on your own," Blake said firmly. At least he thought it was firm. He wasn't too sure.  
  
"Blake, you're not worried that you're going to get sick are you?" Cam asked, gently, drawing Blake nearer.  
  
Blake paled.  
  
"You are," Cam said, taking that reaction as confirmation. "Blake, I'm monitoring your health. You're not going to get sick anytime soon."  
  
"I know, I know, it's just..." Blake sighed, shaking his head. Whatever it was "just", it was clear he couldn't continue.  
  
"Just?" Cam prompted.  
  
"I don't know!" Blake said miserably, putting some mayonnaise on the bread and closing off his sandwich. He sat at the kitchen counter and took a thoughtful bite out of his sandwich.  
  
"Blake, you've been through a lot. Some unnecessary stuff, but a lot." Cam shook his head at his teammate's hesitance. "You're safe. You're here. If you want, I can put monitors on you, but you shouldn't need them."  
  
Blake shook his head at the thought of having anything stuck against him. He'd seen Cam's monitors; he didn't desire to wear them like he had when he'd had the concussion. "That would freak Hunter out."  
  
"Let me worry about Hunter," Cam said, resting a comforting hand on Blake's shoulder. "We need to take care of you."  
  
"No, I don't need it Cam, really," Blake said, looking at his sandwich instead of at Cam. "The nightmares will calm down. The other ones did."  
  
Cam just gave him a disbelieving look. The one that said, "Really?"  
  
"Look," Blake said, in an exasperated tone, "You've done a lot for us. You don't have to do everything for us."  
  
"If I don't, who will?" Cam asked patiently.  
  
"Us," Blake said simply. "Look, Hunter and I are the only family we have right now. I mean, we don't really know where Leanne is. We're used to looking out for each other."  
  
"Yeah, but you're so busy looking out for Hunter you're not looking out for yourself," Cam pointed out reasonably.  
  
"You've got it wrong," Blake insisted. "Before Vertigo Island, Hunter looked out for both of us. Still does, in fact." He mentally shook his head, knowing his brother had started reacting - consciously or unconsciously - to Cam the same way. Maybe that bubble dimension had affected Hunter more than it had him.  
  
"Yeah, but you're keeping things from him," Cam frowned, "that makes it hard for him to look out for you."  
  
"He's got a lot to deal with too," Blake said, shrugging as if it wasn't a big deal.  
  
"Yes, but...." Cam shook his head. "Give one of us peace of mind and stop trying to hide things."  
  
"Geez, Cam," Blake said, shaking his head, "Just because Hunter made you our middle brother for a day doesn't mean you have to act like it all the time!" Maybe that bubble dimension had warped both Hunter and Cam.  
  
"Who said anything about middle brother?" Cam said, leaning against the counter. "I'm older than both of you."  
  
"Let's not get into Hunter's twisted ideas," Blake said, turning away and glad lunch was over. He'd eaten. Cam was happy. "Thanks for cleaning up for me, Cam."  
  
"Oh no you don't," Cam said, grabbing Blake by the arm. "You're not getting out of the dishes, or out of the conversation that easily."  
  
"Dishes?" Blake asked. "We ate off of paper plates, dude." What dishes was Cam talking about?  
  
"Not those dishes, these dishes," Cam said, indicating the cutting board on which Blake had made his sandwich and the knife, as well as his plate. "So start cleaning and spill!"  
  
"Since when am I on dish duty?" Blake whined. "And do you want me to spill the dishwater on the floor?"  
  
"Since you made a snack," Cam said. "You mess it up, you clean it up. And you know darn well what I meant by 'spill'."  
  
"OK," Blake sighed, starting some dishwater and putting his plate in the sink.  
  
"So is there something else bothering you besides the brush with malnutrition?" Cam asked, arms crossed again.  
  
"Mostly the brush with malnutrition, bro, er, dude," Blake said. "Other than Mr. Ratwell and the beach."  
  
Cam frowned. Admittedly, he didn't know Blake all that well, but something was wrong. "Are you sure?"  
  
"Sure, bro," Blake said. If Cam was going to insist on acting like Hunter, he'd use "bro," a word that never failed to irritate Cam.  
  
Cam sighed at the "bro" but refused to rise to the bait, instead putting a hand on Blake's shoulder. "I wish you'd trust me." Then Cam walked away from the sink and sat at the bar, as if waiting patiently.  
  
"No offense, but that's gonna take time," Blake said. "This isn't my home. It's not going to happen soon."  
  
"It'll happen sooner than you think," Cam responded steadily as Blake finished washing.  
  
Blake sighed heavily. "You're not pushing or anything." Which Cam was. Why couldn't he just *let up*? Or practice the therapy on Hunter or something.  
  
"We're fighting for our lives together," Cam said matter-of-factly. "Which is why I'm so shocked that it hasn't happened all ready."  
  
Blake shrugged. "Hunter and I are used to being together," he said unapologetically. "You grew up here. You knew the Winds before we did. What are we? People who nearly destroyed your Dad."  
  
Cam bit his lip. "I know what it's like to lose a parent," Cam said quietly, looking at the floor. "Mom got sick. There wasn't anyone to blame... In your shoes, disoriented, confused, no one to guide you other than Lothor... I could see how you got to where you were. You and Hunter are good people, Blake. You made a mistake."  
  
"Hell of a mistake," Blake snorted in disbelief.  
  
"Look, if there's anybody who should be upset, it's me and my father. I can't say that it was easy to forgive you, but both of us did." Cam said. He was clearly *trying* to look Blake in the eyes. He just wasn't succeeding.  
  
Blake looked at Cam's body language. "Right. You're still trying to deal with the two of us being Rangers after we held you hostage and kidnapped your Dad."  
  
Cam scrubbed a worried hand through his hair. "Look, Blake..." He paused, looking at Blake and seeing beyond the issue. "I see what you're doing. This isn't the real issue. You're trying to distract me."  
  
"Look, we're eating regularly, and Hunter's even gotten used to Shane being in command," Blake pointed out sharply. "What more could you want?"  
  
Cam sighed, clearly growing frustrated. "You not going insane? Blake, if you let things fester, they're just going to blow up on you. And let's not get into what happens if that's while we're on a mission."  
  
"Cam, I did grow up at a Ninja Academy," Blake said patiently. "You should know that you can't live at a place like this without picking up a thing or two."  
  
"Blake," Cam said, reaching out a hand to put on his shoulder.  
  
Blake jerked away.  
  
"What's going on?" Hunter said from behind Cam.  
  
Cam whirled to find the elder Bradley glaring at him, arms crossed. Hunter in protective mode. Never a good sign.  
  
"Nothing," Blake said, dejection and a little bit of sullenness in his voice.  
  
"You sure, bro?" Hunter asked, moving to Blake's side. "It kinda looked like something."  
  
Cam decided it was time to bring in the cavalry. "Did you know Blake's been checking his blood sugar?"  
  
"Bro's paranoid," Hunter said, shrugging. It was an odd shrug, since his arms were still crossed.  
  
"You don't find this consternating at all?" Cam asked, arms spread wide, voice full of disbelief.  
  
"Nope," Hunter said calmly, putting a hand on Blake's shoulder. This was just what Cam needed. Hunter to get in protective mode.  
  
"It must be genetic!" Cam exclaimed in confused exasperation, throwing up his arms.  
  
Hunter and Blake just stared at him as if he were nuts.  
  
"Oh. Good point," Cam said sheepishly, looking at the two. "What did your parents *do* to you?"  
  
"Raised us," Hunter responded simply. He turned a questioning look at Blake, as if imploring his little brother silently to tell him what big bad Cam had done to scare him.  
  
Cam smacked his forehead and left the room, shaking his head. He should lie down for a while. Blake had given him a headache.  
  
As soon as Cam was out of earshot, Hunter turned to Blake, frowning. "Why are you checking your blood sugar, li'l bro?"  
  
Blake put his hands in his pockets. "It felt comforting. You know how Sensei Omino's wife had to do it? I used to be afraid that I'd have problems too."  
  
Hunter put an arm around Blake, pulling him close. He bent his head against Blake's nearly whispering in his ear. "You're not going to have problems. You have plenty to eat, Cam's keeping an eye on our health, everything's going to be fine."  
  
Blake grinned slightly. Unconvincingly. "Right." He pulled away from Hunter.  
  
"Blake," Hunter said, pulling his brother close again. "We're. Going. To. Be. Fine."  
  
Blake nodded obediently, but without conviction. He rubbed the toe of his boot against the tile floor.  
  
"Want me to get Cam back in here and tell him it's more than just you being paranoid?" Hunter threatened quietly.  
  
"What do you mean?" Blake asked. "I'm not paranoid."  
  
"I'll tell him something is wrong and you won't tell me what it is," Hunter threatened again, letting go and moving towards the doorway and in the direction that Cam had gone.  
  
"Nothing's wrong!" Blake said, moving to intercept him and blocking his way.  
  
"See what I mean?" Hunter said, motioning in Blake's direction.  
  
"You wouldn't." Blake let go of the sides of the doorway, heading for their room, head down.  
  
Hunter grabbed his arm, restraining him. "Yes, I would. *Talk* to me, bro."  
  
"I've forgotten," Blake said, staring at the floor and shrugging.  
  
"Excuse me?" Hunter said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You're a terrible liar, do you know that?"  
  
"Hey, the Winds believed me," Blake said brightly. "And you, when we first met them."  
  
"You're better with strangers," Hunter explained, looking at Blake intently. "How much longer do you think that you could've lied to Tori?"  
  
"Tori?" Blake asked, a smile nearly tugging at his lips. "I'm glad we revealed ourselves when we did, bro."  
  
Hunter rolled his eyes. "Maybe I should sic her on you, I'm getting nowhere."  
  
"Would you believe that Cam's already calmed my fears, bro?" Blake asked, eyes looking up at his brother hopefully.  
  
"If he all ready calmed your fears, why did he bring me in on it?" Hunter said rhetorically. He motioned towards Cam's doorway. "You know if you try that, I'm going to go ask him."  
  
Blake shrugged. "You do just that. I'm gonna nap, bro. Or sleep."  
  
"Fine, I will," Hunter said, and stalked off.  
  
Blake sighed with relief and headed to the bathroom. With luck, Hunter would catch Cam in the middle of Zord programming.  
  
* * *  
  
Hunter went to Cam's room and knocked on the door, hoping that Cam would answer and not ignore the knock.  
  
"Come in," Cam's voice said, and the door opened.  
  
"Uh, hey, Cam," Hunter said as he walked in, looking more than a little sheepish.  
  
"What's up?" Cam asked, sitting up on his bed, on top of the green army blanket.  
  
"Could you talk to Blake for me?" Hunter asked, sitting at the desk and staring at the betta bowl on top of the file cabinet instead of looking at Cam.  
  
A look of confusion crossed Cam's face. "Why? You're his brother."  
  
"He's being stubborn and won't talk about what's bothering him," Hunter said simply with a shrug.  
  
Cam sighed, his growing frustration becoming more evident. "And here I thought you knew."  
  
Hunter shook his head, hurt evident on his face. "I should've been able to get it out of him. I figured if I got you off his case and then got him alone, he'd tell me. He wouldn't. This isn't like Blake, Cam. He doesn't usually keep things from me."  
  
Cam nodded. He couldn't *say* that he knew the Thunders all that well, but both Hunter and Blake seemed capable of hiding things from one another if they thought it was for the better. "Do you have *any* idea of what this is about?" he asked calmly, hoping Hunter would put his mind to his brother's problem.  
  
"I'm not sure it's all about the not eating right," Hunter said thoughtfully. "I mean, it's got to be part of it. Why else would he check his blood sugar? It just... there's something else. I think. Maybe." He shook his head in frustration at his little brother's closed-mouthedness.  
  
"When I started talking to him about fears, that's when he started avoiding me," Cam said, nodding at Hunter's revelation. "Maybe you need to talk to him about his fears."  
  
Hunter nodded glumly, but didn't say anything.  
  
"Go," Cam said reassuringly. "I think he'll be more comfortable if you ask him... I think you just need to know what to ask."  
  
"You sure?" Hunter asked, clearly unconvinced.  
  
"You want me to e-mail my girlfriend the psych major?" Cam asked plaintively.  
  
"Your girlfriend's a psych major?" Hunter repeated. Then his brain caught up with what Cam had just said. "Wait. You have a girlfriend?"  
  
Cam rolled his eyes. What was with these two and that fact? "Yes. Go bother Blake. But if you can't get him to talk, I'll ask my girlfriend."  
  
"Right," Hunter said dubiously, heading for the door.  
  
* * *  
  
"Blake," Hunter said, entering their room, where Blake was sitting at one of the desks, looking at - but not seeing - one of his textbooks.  
  
"Yeah?" Blake asked absently. It was as if Hunter didn't exist at all... or maybe Blake was trying to pretend Hunter was Cam or something like that. In either case, Hunter made his way across the room to the other desk and pulled up a chair.  
  
Hunter paused. "Does this place make you nervous?" It was the only way he could think of tackling the fear question without being obvious. Or at least not blindingly obvious that big brother was snooping.  
  
"Huh?" Blake asked, closing the textbook and putting it back in the backpack. "Are you OK, bro? You had enough to eat today?"  
  
"Cam fed me," Hunter said, making a motion towards the kitchen. "I'm stuffed. What do you think?"  
  
"I... um... think..." Blake stammered. Hunter knew his little brother too well.  
  
Hunter leaned forwards his brother, looking him square in the eyes. "Blake, are you afraid something's gonna happen to me? To us?"  
  
Blake nodded, starting at his desk. "We've been lucky, bro," he said, so quietly Hunter could barely hear him.  
  
"Yeah, we have," Hunter said, putting an arm around Blake's shoulders. "But now we have somewhere safe to live and four more teammates to back us up. You think Cam, Tori, Dustin, and Shane are gonna let anything happen to us?"  
  
"Given what happened when they discovered where we were living?" Blake leaned against Hunter, glad to be close to his brother. "No. It's just... I had a nightmare of collapsing and nobody being able to find me. Or you."  
  
Hunter tapped Blake's morpher. "Do you ever take that off?"  
  
"No," Blake said, looking confused.  
  
"So what's your problem?" Hunter asked gently. "Cam can track us anywhere as long as we're wearing these."  
  
"Almost anywhere-- remember Choobo's backpack? Besides, bro, you don't think when you're having nightmares," Blake said matter-of-factly. "You'd think I'd remember that I had a morpher on?"  
  
"No, you wouldn't," Hunter said, gently. "But remember... if something happened to you... which it won't... but if it did, Cam could track you inside like a minute."  
  
Blake nodded at that. "I never thought I'd be grateful to have Cam around."  
  
"Tell me about it," Hunter said, grinning and giving Blake a warm squeeze.  
  
Blake sat reveling in his brother's warmth. "Yeah."  
  
The two sat together for a while, just enjoying each other's company.  
  
"Blake?" Hunter asked suddenly, remembering how Blake had acted earlier.  
  
"Hmm?" Blake asked, eyes closed.  
  
"Is there anything else you should tell me?" Hunter asked him softly. Just in case he wasn't opening up about anything else.  
  
"Nope," Blake said, his voice considerably lighter, though not as light as it maybe should have been. "I think I want to take a nap, bro. Cam stuffed me full of food, again...."  
  
"Don't let me stop you," Hunter said gently, not though clearly not anxious to move.  
  
"Thanks," Blake said, letting loose from his brother's grasp and heading into the lower bunk.  
  
Hunter came over and stretched out next to him.  
  
"Hunter!" Blake exclaimed, exasperated.  
  
"I kinda want to feel safe too, bro," Hunter said, batting a tuft of hair out of Blake's eyes, "and besides, you're not the only one Cam stuffed full of food."  
  
Blake sighed, but scooted over a little so that Hunter would have more room. "We should've forgotten about the desks and left the sofa bed in here."  
  
"Yeah, but who wanted to explain to Cam and Sensei why we needed to keep the sofa?"Hunter asked.  
  
"Not me," Blake added. "And not anybody else, either. We needed desks, so we got desks."  
  
Hunter nodded. "Oh well." He looked over at Blake. "Anyway, bro, how about that nap?"  
  
"Picky, picky," Blake grinned, leaning his head against Hunter's shoulder and closing his eyes.  
  
Hunter let Blake relax, safe under his protection and the protection of Ops. They were safe, he knew, and he let his own eyes close. He was soon dead to the world.  
  
The End 


	7. Convalescence

Disclaimer: Characters and situations are the property of BVE and Village Roadshow Pictures. No copyright infringement is intended.  
  
Authors' Notes: Our real lives are kinda crazy right now. (Esti's more than Tigger's. Tigger's is finally settling down.) That said, we seem to be doing fairly well at keeping this every other week schedule.  
  
Building Family: Convalescence by EstiRose and Tptigger c 2004  
  
"You sure you're not coming down with that cold, bro?" Blake asked from the doorway to the Ninja Ops kitchen.  
  
"Nah," Hunter said, he placed his large, black bowl of a salad on the bar that doubled as the Ninja Ops living quarters kitchen table. "Just said that to worry Cam."  
  
Cam glared at him from the other side of the table, his hamburger temporarily forgotten.  
  
"Yep, he's getting sick," Blake said, coming in to lean against the tan kitchen counter between Cam and his brother. "First symptom is to deny he really has come down with something."  
  
"Am not," Hunter said, hopping up on a bar stool.  
  
"See, denial."  
  
"Is a river in Egypt," Hunter said.  
  
"Blake, hold him there, I'm going to get a thermometer," Cam said, he hopped down from his bar stool, leaving the modern kitchen for the more cave-like hallway. Presumably to wherever he kept the medical supplies.  
  
"What?" Hunter asked as their sixth ranger vanished out of sight. He sounded as if he'd rather be anywhere but there at the moment.  
  
"Right," Blake said at nearly the same time. He sat firmly on Hunter's lap, and Hunter responded by trying feebly to move him off. "No moving, bro."  
  
"If I'm sick, you're gonna get it too," Hunter pointed out reasonably. His voice came out noticeably rough.  
  
Blake shrugged, as if it didn't matter. "I'm sleeping on the bunk under yours bro, I'll probably end up with it anyway."  
  
Cam returned with the thermometer, turning it on and looking at Hunter sternly.  
  
"You don't need to take my temperature, bro," Hunter said, trying, still unsuccessfully to push Blake away.  
  
"Hunter, I'm not only the sixth Ranger, I'm the team's medic," Cam said. "And you look pale." He shook his head. "And your brother is the one sitting on your lap. Open your mouth."  
  
Hunter clamped his mouth shut, his eyes glaring, and shook his head like a stubborn child.  
  
Blake gave a half smile, rolled his eyes and pinched Hunter's nose. Harder than was strictly necessary. Hunter's only reaction was to intensify his glare. Blake kept holding his brother's nose closed.  
  
This went on for a few minutes, until Hunter finally had to take a breath. Cam deftly slipped the thermometer under Hunter's tongue.  
  
"Don't chew," Cam reminded, pointing sternly at Hunter.  
  
Hunter glared at him, but did as he was told. And tried again to push Blake off his lap.  
  
Blake got up, as if to humor his brother. "Need any help, Cam?"  
  
Cam craned his neck to get a look at the display. "Assuming the patient *behaves*, no," he said.  
  
Hunter, seemingly losing all his patience with the process, reached up to take the thermometer out of his mouth.  
  
"Leave it and I'll make you a hamburger," Cam wheedled.  
  
"Mrrf," Hunter mumbled in an irritated tone.  
  
"Chill, bro," Blake said, heading for the fridge and getting out the pickle relish.  
  
"Mrrfl," Hunter's tone was going from irritated to irate.  
  
The thermometer beeped, signaling that it was done.  
  
"Yes, Hunter. Open your mouth," Cam instructed, reaching up to take the thermometer and totally ignoring the fact that his patient wasn't in the best of moods.  
  
"What's the verdict, Dr. Cam?" Hunter asked once his mouth was no longer full. He seemed to be back to impatient, his legs swinging under the table.  
  
"Well, I don't think you're in danger of dying," Cam said dryly, reading the thermometer. "Other than that... you seem to be running a slight temperature." He looked at Hunter as if he fully expected the other Ranger to believe him.  
  
"I told you you were sick," Blake said, cocking an eyebrow at Hunter.  
  
"No I'm not," Hunter said. "I was exercising! I'm fine." His protests were interrupted by a cough.  
  
"Yeah, right," Cam said sarcastically.  
  
Hunter threw up his arms. "Fine. Don't believe me." He prepared to get up and away from the crazy people.  
  
"Come on, bro, you're going to bed," Blake said, grabbing Hunter by the collar and pulling.  
  
Hunter tried to stay where he was, but Blake's tugging pulled the barstool onto two legs, tipping Hunter forward. He ended up jumping for it as the barstool crashed to the floor. "Hey, I'm the elder brother here!" Hunter told Blake. "You can't sit on me and make me get better."  
  
"Well, I don't expect to make you better, but I do want you to lie down," Blake said reasonably, taking hold of Hunter's arm and trying to lead him towards their room.  
  
"But I don't want to lie down," Hunter said petulantly, and dug his heels in like he was dealing with an unruly dog on a leash.  
  
"If you're my older brother why aren't you acting like it?" Blake asked, dragging him around the corner. "You'd think I was taking you to get your shots."  
  
"Hey, elder brother privilege," Hunter said, trying his best to get out of it by grasping whatever items were in the hall to anchor himself. Blake finally dragged him into their room and somehow managed to sit him down on the lower bunk bed, not quite able to figure out how to toss his brother up onto the top bunk.  
  
"Here," Cam said, following behind them with a tray. "If you're not going to sleep, Hunter, at least eat."  
  
"Let me eat at the desk, Blake," Hunter said reasonably. He looked pleadingly at his younger, domineering brother.  
  
"Only if you promise to go straight back to bed," Blake said, folding his arms.  
  
Cam brought in a chicken salad Hunter had made for himself. "Probably not all this is good for you, but you need the calories for your metabolism."  
  
"Salad's pretty healthy," Blake pointed out. "Eat." He pointed at the food, and then Hunter's head.  
  
"What happened to the hamburger?" Hunter pleaded, tossing his younger brother puppy dog eyes.  
  
"If you insist," Cam said, trying not to crack up. "I'll get the hamburger too."  
  
"Yes, please," Hunter said, looking at Cam with the same eyes.  
  
"Blake, seat him at the desk," Cam said, barely stifling his amusement. "I'll put this tray down and be back for tea and his hamburger." Cam left.  
  
"I'm capable of sitting myself down you know," Hunter rolled his eyes and took a seat at the desk. "I'm erroneously thought ill, not invalid."  
  
"Hey, big bro, our turn to mother hen," Blake said. "Think of it as your little brothers' revenge."  
  
"I'm doomed," Hunter sighed, leaning back against the seat of the chair, his arms hanging limply by his side.  
  
"Nope," Blake said, spearing some salad with the fork and holding it in front of Hunter meaningfully. "But it's our turn to take care of *you*."  
  
"Like I've ever 'taken care of' Cam," Hunter scoffed, obediently taking the fork and starting to eat.  
  
"That's my Dad's job," Cam said, coming in. He placed the hamburger plate on the tray next to the salad bowl. "Not that I really need taking care of these days."  
  
"Right," Hunter said, scoffing at his teammate.  
  
"I could beat you in a fight," Cam reminded him.  
  
Hunter snorted, taking a bite of the hamburger. "Yeah, right. Wouldn't know it in practice."  
  
Cam shrugged, as if Hunter's disbelief didn't bother him at all. "I take it easy in practice."  
  
"Why?" Hunter asked. He stuffed the hamburger in his mouth again.  
  
"I think it's a bad thing to actually *hurt* one's teammates," Cam boasted, standing straight and tall with his arms crossed.  
  
Hunter scoffed at that. "Healing abilities, remember?" He took another bite of the salad, which Blake had been pointing at meaningfully.  
  
"Could go beyond that if I'm not careful," Cam said, his eyes narrowing.  
  
Hunter shook his head in disbelief. "C'mon, Cam, you learned all your stuff secondhand."  
  
Cam smiled mysteriously.  
  
"Crimson-Samurai battle..." Hunter got up. Then sat back down. "When I get out of bed," Hunter said.  
  
"Right," Cam said in his most sarcastic tone. It was clear he felt he'd be the victor.  
  
"I mean it," Hunter said, crossing his arms. "You can't just go around making boasts like that...."  
  
"Hunter, I mean every word I say," Cam said seriously.  
  
"Right," Hunter said, in a tone indicating he didn't believe a word of it.  
  
"He is the one who caught you that day in Ninja Ops," Blake reminded Cam. "Remember?"  
  
"Only 'cause you guys took me totally by surprise," Cam said, shrugging. "And that hallway isn't exactly the widest in the world either."  
  
"Face it." Hunter looked over at Cam. "I had you in a choke hold before you realized I was there. You were helpless as a kitten."  
  
Cam raised an eyebrow, motioning at the food. It was plain that he considered the topic ended. "Eat your burger."  
  
"Yes, Mom." Hunter bit into the burger.  
  
Blake pulled Cam aside. "There's no way he's going to stay in bed," Blake whispered desperately. "Unless I sit on him."  
  
Cam smiled mysteriously, laying a comforting hand on Blake's shoulder. "Oh, I think Hunter will find a nap extremely attractive soon."  
  
"You spiked the burger?" Blake asked, trying not let his eyes widen and his panic show through.  
  
"No," Cam gently squeezed Blake's shoulder. "I know how Hunter thinks."  
  
"Huh?" Blake wrinkled his nose.  
  
Cam just smiled mysteriously.  
  
"Cam...." Blake frowned in admonishment.  
  
Their sixth Ranger shrugged. "I spiked everything." He looked vaguely in Hunter's direction.  
  
"Cam." The statement was calm. The look in Blake's eyes wasn't.  
  
"With fever suppressant. Which should make him drowsy." The words were obviously meant to allay Blake's fears.  
  
Blake breathed a sigh of relief. "That shouldn't hurt him-- it is the proper dose right?"  
  
"Yeah, I just had to spread it out over everything so he wouldn't taste it," Cam said, obviously proud of what he managed.  
  
"Paranoid much? It's just a cold." Blake threw a covert look at Hunter.  
  
"Unless it gets worse." Cam wrinkled his nose in concern. "In which case we have to take him to hospital, and hope no one asks too many questions."  
  
Blake paled at the thought of Hunter needing medical attention and being unable to get it; not to mention the possibility that the hospital staff might realize he and Hunter lacked a legal guardian. "You'd better hope he eats everything."  
  
"It shouldn't put him to sleep, but make sure he doesn't drive," Cam said, drawing himself up.  
  
"Right," Blake said, a touch of his normal humor entering his voice. "No taking out your car for a joy ride."  
  
"Or taking out the bikes," Cam pointed out, ignoring the comment. "No tackling any monsters on the Tsunami Cycles. Or practicing on the motorbikes."  
  
"What you two whispering about?" Hunter asked, finally realizing the conversation was probably about him and not liking it one bit.  
  
"Nothing," the other two chorused, trying to make themselves the picture of innocence.  
  
"Cam, if you stuck a sedative in my food...." Hunter warned.  
  
Cam chuckled. "Hunter, do I look suicidal enough to put a sedative in your food?"  
  
"Yeah." Hunter stood up.  
  
"You're paranoid, bro." Cam patted Hunter's shoulder.  
  
"Just 'cause I'm paranoid doesn't mean you're not out to get me." Hunter crossed his arms.  
  
"I'm not out to get you," Cam said, in his best "trust me" tone.  
  
"Really?" Hunter asked, his tone and his posture indicating he didn't quite believe the other Ranger.  
  
"Really. If you keel over, it's going to be on your own," Cam told him. "You're sick enough."  
  
Hunter arched an eyebrow. It was clear what he thought on the matter.  
  
"No sedative in the food, Hunter," Cam told him reassuringly.  
  
"You haven't drugged my food?" Hunter asked, like a little boy who didn't quite want to believe there weren't monsters under the bed.  
  
"I drugged your drink." Cam sensed that part of the truth was better than no truth at all. "With aspirin."  
  
Hunter rolled his eyes. "I feel fine."  
  
"Right," Cam said with practiced disbelief.  
  
Hunter handed the glass back to Cam. "Not thirsty."  
  
"Okay, but if you start feeling bad, it's not my fault." Cam took the glass.  
  
"Well, duh," Hunter said, in a manner specific to petulant teenagers.  
  
Cam shook his head. "Let me know if anything happens." He took the spiked tea back to the kitchen, knowing there was enough of the drug left in the food to at least cut Hunter's fever.  
  
"Bro, he only means well," Blake clapped Hunter's shoulder.  
  
"I'm perfectly capable of swallowing an aspirin," Hunter grumbled, throwing up his hands... and a forkful of salad with it.  
  
"You don't seem to be very willing to, though," Blake pointed out.  
  
"That's because I think Cam read the thermometer wrong, little bro, and you exacerbated it." Hunter glared at his younger brother.  
  
"Hunter, you said yourself you were feeling off," Blake said, hoping to appeal to his brother's common sense... what there was of it.  
  
"Not *that* off!" Hunter exclaimed, getting halfway up.  
  
"Right." Blake said, pushed his brother back into the chair.  
  
"Like Cam would take me off duty because of a cold." Hunter sized Blake up as if he was thinking of getting up again.  
  
"Sensei might, if he thought it'd affect your performance out there." Blake moved closer to his brother, hovering protectively.  
  
Hunter laid a hand on Blake's shoulder. "I'm fine."  
  
"Hunter, I can't lose you," Blake whispered.  
  
"Blake, not gonna," Hunter said soothingly. "And since when does Sensei pull anyone out of battle?"  
  
"He would if he felt someone wasn't up to fighting," Blake said adamantly. "And if you're not feeling your best, and you fight, you could get yourself hurt. Maybe even destroyed."  
  
Hunter nodded. He knew what Blake meant. But still... "I'm not that off."  
  
"Uh-huh," Blake said, obviously concerned as to his brother's health.  
  
"I'm not," Hunter insisted, looking up at his brother with pleading eyes.  
  
"Normally, I wouldn't have been able to keep you still by sitting in your lap like that," Blake pointed out, making a motion towards where Hunter was sitting.  
  
"I wasn't fighting that," Hunter said, as if he was humoring Blake.  
  
"Yes, but why not?" Blake asked, obviously feeling that Hunter was deluding himself.  
  
"Because I was too surprised." Hunter shrugged.  
  
"Really," Blake said, doubt present in his voice.  
  
"Really," Hunter said confidently.  
  
Blake shifted from foot to foot. "Look me in the eyes and say that."  
  
"I was too surprised."  
  
"That was my forehead." Blake frowned.  
  
"You need to grow another inch," Hunter said in an attempt to distract Blake.  
  
Blake crossed his arms. "Hunter."  
  
"Okay, I'm not feeling all that great," Hunter finally admitted. "But not as bad as you and Cam make it out to be."  
  
"Maybe you should get some rest." Blake threw his brother puppy dog eyes.  
  
"Blake...." Hunter sighed. "All right, I'll get some rest. Let me eat first, though. I'm starved. And since this stuff isn't drugged...." He looked at his food again, as if doubting it was really there.  
  
Blake nodded. "Ok, bro, you clean your plate." He sat down on the bed, watching over Hunter carefully.  
  
"What aren't you telling me?" Hunter asked suspiciously.  
  
"Eat," Blake told him firmly. "You heard Cam, if you don't eat you're going to crash and burn. Or get sick again."  
  
"Blake...." Hunter glared at his brother, crossing his arms.  
  
"Bro, eat before I eat it all for you." Blake's voice rose in pitch with his panic.  
  
"All right," Hunter tucked in. "But if it's drugged, I'm gonna tickle you senseless."  
  
"Right," Blake said sarcastically. "Like I'd risk that."  
  
Hunter cleaned his plate, then climbed up to his bunk. "Can I read or do I have to count holes on the ceiling?"  
  
Blake shrugged. "Pick your poison."  
  
"Right." Hunter pulled a book out of the crack between the mattress and the wall and started reading.  
  
Blake settled down on his own mattress and hoped the boring activity, combined with the drug in his brother's system would conk the bigger Bradley out.  
  
Sure enough, a few minutes later, Hunter was snoring away, his breath like a sharp rasp in the air.  
  
Blake slipped out of their room, shut off the lights, and went off to see what was on TV. He found himself watching some cheesy vampire show and hoping Hunter was possibly right about not being ill.  
  
"How is he?" Cam asked quietly, causing Blake to jump. Blake had gotten so much into the show that he'd forgotten that Cam had been lurking about.  
  
"He's asleep," Blake said, reassuring the other. "He's really out of it. Snoring like there's no tomorrow."  
  
"The sleep should help." Cam settled down in the chair and relaxing.  
  
"Yeah. I convinced him the food wasn't drugged too." Blake grinned.  
  
"Way to go, Blake," Cam said proudly.  
  
"I was worried there that he might be so suspicious that he'd make *me* eat it, though." Blake fidgeted.  
  
Cam snorted. "A little aspirin won't kill you."  
  
"True, but...." Blake shook his head, trying to sort out his thoughts. "It doesn't mean that I wanted to take it."  
  
Cam nodded sagely. "At least it put Hunter out like a light. I'll trust you can keep him from doing anything heavier than maybe light sparring until we're sure what he's got?"  
  
"No problem, bro, we'll just make sure no one else on the team will do anything more with him," Blake said brightly. "Dustin's been offering to upgrade his bike. Maybe now's a good time."  
  
"Good idea." Cam smiled at Blake's cunning. "I'll tell Shane and the others."  
  
"I'll contact Dustin." A grin spread over Blake's face. "I've got to arrange getting Hunter's bike to him. Oh, and I'll call Tori."  
  
Cam nodded in agreement, grinning for an entirely different reason. "You do that. I'll talk to Shane, in my capacity as Team Medic, and I'll get Dad to back me if needs be."  
  
"Right," Blake said, totally missing Cam's amusement over Blake's wanting to call Tori.  
  
"I'd better brush up on how to deal with difficult patients." Cam shuffled as if deciding whether or not to get up. "You keep him in that bed. Even if you have to strap him to it."  
  
"I don't think straps will be necessary," Blake smiled. "Guilt trips are much more effective."  
  
Cam grinned back, knowing that sometimes Blake was better at getting Hunter to do things than he was. Often, in fact. "Do your best."  
  
Blake nodded, confirming Cam's statement. "Think he's sick?"  
  
"I think he's just coming down with a cold," Cam reassured him.  
  
"So you're just being extra careful?" Blake's eyes begged Cam for reassurance.  
  
"Yeah," Cam said soothingly.  
  
"We won't be in foster care by next week?" Blake's voice shook as he spoke.  
  
Cam got up and put a reassuring hand on Blake's shoulder. "Not if I can help it."  
  
* * *  
  
The next morning, the Bradley brothers' alarm clock went off at 6:30 for school. Blake slinked out of bed, hit the snooze bar on the alarm clock and stretched. He then grabbed his clothes, and headed for the bathroom to take a shower.  
  
When he returned half an hour later, the alarm was beeping and Hunter was laying in bed, in the exact same position he'd been in when Blake left. It was clear he hadn't moved.  
  
Blake shook him. "Hunter? Bro?"  
  
"Go 'way," Hunter said, his voice very far away.  
  
Blake fought down panic. "You OK?"  
  
"My head's pounding, my nose is stuffy, and my throat hurts," Hunter nearly whispered, hoarsely. "Just let me go back to sleep, OK?"  
  
"Told you you had a cold," Blake said, voice implying something he wasn't quite saying.  
  
"Tell me so later. I'm sleeping." The shape moved a little bit, ducking further under the covers.  
  
"Right. I'll tell Cam that you're not up for breakfast," Blake told him. Cam would probably feed Hunter breakfast anyway, in some form, but that wasn't something he was overly concerned about at the moment.  
  
"Thanks, bro," the form under the covers rasped.  
  
"And we'll have Sensei call you in for school," Blake said, making mental notes as he got ready. "I'll see if I can get your assignments."  
  
"Chip Davis is in most of my classes," Hunter managed, his voice muffled by the blanket. "And I left my history book in my locker, but I'm gonna want it."  
  
"I'll get in touch with him and get your history book," Blake said, rolling his eyes at the thought that his brother was worrying about school when he was clearly feeling so rotten. "Anything else?"  
  
"I'm not going to be up for team practice, either."  
  
"Well, duh, just rest bro." Blake resisted the temptation to roll his eyes again, even though Hunter couldn't see him. He started to leave.  
  
"Kelly..."  
  
Blake sighed. "I'll let her know you're sick, dude, don't worry about it."  
  
"Thanks. I'm going to bury my head under my pillow now," Hunter said, doing so.  
  
"'night, bro," Blake said, grabbing his shoes, socks, and backpack so that he wouldn't have to go back and disturb Hunter.  
  
He padded out into the kitchen where Sensei and Cam were up. "How is he?" Cam asked quietly, his father looking up as if interested in the conversation.  
  
"Stuffy nose, headache, the works," Blake said, shaking his head. "He's not very social right now."  
  
Cam nodded, not stopping to run and check but obviously thinking of what to do next with Hunter. "I'll offer to run to the video store later. I presume he just wants to sleep?"  
  
"Yeah. And Cam, you have half the video store in your DVD collection," Blake said, feeling the need to point out that Cam's collection was *huge*.  
  
"So?" Cam asked, not getting the point.  
  
"Let's just say that I don't think you'll have to go far for his choices." Blake waved in the vague direction of the rec room. "He'll probably want something soupy for lunch and I think for once he won't argue if you put his meds in the soup."  
  
Cam looked at Blake as if the Navy Ranger were crazy. "You don't think if I just give him the meds he'll take them?"  
  
"Well, that too," Blake said sheepishly. Given Hunter's reluctance yesterday, just *giving* his big brother the pills hadn't crossed his mind.  
  
"I'll give him the meds," Cam said, more to put Blake's mind at ease than anything else. "You'll tell the rest of the Rangers that Hunter's out of it?"  
  
"I'll do that," Blake told him, clearly relieved to hear that Hunter would soon be medicated. "At least right now he wouldn't dream of going outside."  
  
"Actually, some sunshine might do him some good," Cam said thoughtfully. "Supervised, of course."  
  
"After he naps," Blake pointed out. "He'll feel a little more human."  
  
Cam nodded at that. "The others are returning to spar. I'll have him come out and watch."  
  
"So this afternoon? OK." Blake felt a little better knowing that Hunter would be out when he was back.  
  
"Yes," Cam said, still making plans. "We can prop Hunter up in a chair, and three of us will have to spar together."  
  
"Tori and I will toast you, bro." Blake grinned. Seriously, the Green Samurai Ranger may have been taking care of his brother, but Blake still felt that he was owed a butt-kicking.  
  
Cam raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"  
  
"Yup." Blake took a box of cereal and a bowl out of various cupboards.  
  
"We'll just see, won't we?" Cam said, with a wide grin.  
  
* * *  
  
"Hunter," Cam poked his head into Hunter's room the next morning. "I'm driving into town. You want anything?"  
  
Hunter sat up, brightening. "Can I come with you?"  
  
"You need to rest," Cam said. He would be the first to admit that Hunter was better today-- he'd gotten dressed for one thing.  
  
"You're coming back, right?" Hunter frowned.  
  
"Yeah." Cam tried not to think what in Hunter's past might have prompted him to ask a question like *that*. "But you shouldn't really be..."  
  
"Cam, I need to get out," Hunter pleaded. "I definitely started feeling better after watching you guys practice yesterday. Come on, Cam. I'm not going to try to Ranger or anything like that. I just want to be outdoors."  
  
Cam looked at him. "All right," he said. "It's against my better judgment, but Dad said the air did help. But promise me you'll sit in the car and read."  
  
"I promise," Hunter said, holding his fingers up in a Boy Guard's pledge.  
  
* * *  
  
Hunter leaned back against the backrest in Cam's car. His teammate had gone off to shop for groceries for the four residents of Ops, leaving him with a set of books and magazines, and instructions on how to lean the seat back should Hunter wish to sleep.  
  
"Wish to sleep, hah," Hunter muttered to himself. He was tired, but at least Cam's errands meant he got to see something other than the inside of his eyelids or the layout of the quarters he shared with his brother. He wished Cam had let him go shopping, but Cam had been adamant. Hunter was not to leave the car unless his life was threatened.  
  
Hunter's book sat on his lap, he stared out at the open window, people watching. An old man wandering into the bank on a cane. Hunter debated helping him, but decided the man needed his cold far less than he needed his help. A mother, trying to keep track of two young boys.  
  
Hunter grinned at the memories of playing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with Blake throughout the grocery store every time their mother had taken them shopping as children.  
  
Then he spotted two young women, both with really nice legs, coming out of a clothing boutique. He grinned, enjoying the chance to admire from afar, without anyone noticing... then he realized. He wasn't looking at innocent citizens of Blue Bay Harbor. He was watching Marah and Kapri.  
  
Marah was chatting animatedly at Kapri as she returned a card into the purse she was carrying. Since they were walking about with bags, he hoped, he *hoped* that the card was legit. Marah still had her pompom hair devices, Kapri was still walking about with pink hair, but the two of them were otherwise inconspicuous.  
  
Still... he should go follow. There was no telling when the girls' mood would change, and he had his morpher on. There was no reason he couldn't call for help if they turned nasty. It would just be a little walk. Nothing strenuous at all.  
  
Hunter opened the car door slowly, trying to act casually.  
  
"Hunter Bradley, what do you think you're doing?" Cam shouted at him. So much for inconspicuous.  
  
Kapri and Marah swung towards the voice as Cam walked towards him, pushing a cart full of bagged groceries. Hunter closed the car door as the annoyed girls walked off.  
  
As Cam arrived at the car, Hunter answered. "I was *about* to follow Marah and Kapri!"  
  
Cam shrugged it off. "They like shopping at that store over there. I see them a lot when I'm grocery shopping. They never cause trouble."  
  
"But..." Hunter said, motioning at where the two of them had been.  
  
"Never escalate a battle," Cam reminded him softly  
  
"I wasn't about to," Hunter said, defending his actions, "I was about to follow them. That's not escalating. And you didn't warn me about them!"  
  
"You could have called me and I could have told you," Cam reminded him, motioning at his morpher.  
  
"Yeah, and if they had been trouble, what would you have done, abandoned your shopping cart?" Hunter asked.  
  
"Yup, part of being a Ranger," Cam said. He checked his watch. "Besides, Dustin has study hall right now, he could've ducked out for a few minutes without being observed." He opened the truck and started to unload the groceries into the car.  
  
"Do you have all our schedules memorized?" Hunter asked in amazement.  
  
"Yes," Cam responded patiently. But then, Cam was weird.  
  
"You still should have warned me," Hunter said stubbornly. "You know I wouldn't have tried to get out if there was no other reason."  
  
"I do?" Cam asked, crossing his arms. "How do I know that wasn't an excuse?"  
  
"Dude, it was Marah and Kapri! It's not like I was just chasing after a cute girl or something," Hunter said, hoping he wasn't blushing at the fact that he'd been checking them out before he recognized them.  
  
Cam shut the trunk. "Look, Hunter, this still doesn't explain why you didn't call me instead of trying to go after them yourself."  
  
"You were shopping!" Hunter exclaimed indignantly. "I couldn't ask you to go after them, I was there and it's not like I was going to attract attention."  
  
"Hunter," Cam said patiently. "If they'd been up to something, or you even suspected it... most of the clerks there know me. If I left my cart, they wouldn't have towed it."  
  
Hunter raised his eyebrows. "They know you?"  
  
"I always go shopping at this time," Cam said, rolling his eyes. "And this isn't *that* big a town."  
  
"Must be," Hunter said, not realizing Blue Bay Harbor was so small. "Okay, I'm sorry, Cam. I didn't know it was nothing to worry about and my first instinct was stealth, not making you drop what you were doing."  
  
Cam glared at him. "Don't do it again, you nearly gave me a heart attack."  
  
"I know why Blake's so protective, but what's your damage?" Hunter didn't get why Cam was so pissed.  
  
"I'm responsible for you," Cam stated in a much-too-calm manner.  
  
"We're responsible for ourselves," Hunter protested.  
  
"Hunter, if you get pneumonia and you have to go to the hospital, I'm the one who has to convince them there won't be legal problems for treating you," Cam said reasonably.  
  
"So?" Hunter asked petulantly.  
  
Cam sighed. When he spoke, it was clear he was trying not to snap. "Hunter, we've barely been able to forge enough documents for you to go to school and get basic treatment. I don't want them looking *too* closely at what we did."  
  
Hunter hung his head, reality sinking in. "Oh. We don't want you to go to jail for fraud, dude."  
  
"We don't want you in foster care either," Cam added.  
  
Hunter gulped, memories of his life before being adopted by Blake and their parents coming to the surface.  
  
He hadn't realized just how tenuous his and Blake's situation was.  
  
Cam must have seen the gulp and the expression in Hunter's eyes, for he merely replied, "Exactly."  
  
"Man, I hate being a minor," Hunter complained, though he knew there was little he could do about it.  
  
"You've got less than a year left," Cam pointed out reasonably.  
  
"Blake's got two," Hunter said gloomily.  
  
Cam nodded at Hunter's response. "But that's why you've got to keep low-profile, at least until you get old enough to sign legal documents."  
  
"Right," Hunter said. He shook his head. "I'll be good."  
  
"Good," Cam said, nodding at Hunter's answer. "Now, I've got more errands to run. Will you stay inside, or will you be spending the rest of the week in Ops?"  
  
"I'll stay inside," Hunter promised. "Don't you have to worry about the frozen food melting?"  
  
"Nope, now that I can stop worrying about you, I'm going to put it in a special box in the back," Cam explained, grinning.  
  
"OK," Hunter said, clearly puzzled. "Why not just do the grocery shopping last?"  
  
"Because that way I would have to go out of my way," Cam said reasonably. "Now, let me put the stuff away so I can finish my errands and take you back to Ops."  
  
"Ok," Hunter said meekly. He got back into the car and returned to people watching.  
  
"Good," Cam said, leaving to take care of his stuff. "I'll be just a minute or two."  
  
And he was.  
  
* * *  
  
"Okay," Cam said, "We're home." They were sitting in a seemingly deserted barn, where Cam stored the Mobile Command Center and his car.  
  
"I can see that," Hunter said, feeling... well, sorry for what he'd done. It had been great to be out. "Cam, I'm really sorry about the grocery store. Can I still sit outside and watch you guys spar?"  
  
"We'll see." Cam did something with his small morpher, and Hunter found himself in the room he shared with Blake.  
  
Knowing that he didn't want to tempt fate much more, Hunter went to bed.  
  
* * *  
  
Several hours later, Blake poked his head into their room. "How are you feeling, bro?"  
  
"Better," Hunter said. He glanced at the clock. He must have been really out of it, given the time. "How was practice?"  
  
"Pretty good," Blake said with a shrug. "I was going to ask you to come watch, but Sensei and Cam said that you needed your rest."  
  
Hunter just shrugged. "Sounded good to me," he said. "Who'd you spar with today? Tori?"  
  
"No," Blake said, clearly not completely happy with the arrangement. "Sensei thought that Tori should switch off, so she went against Dustin while Cam and I went against Shane."  
  
"That's something I'd like to see," Hunter chuckled. "Who won?"  
  
"Not Shane." Blake grinned impishly. Then, he added proudly, "Nor Dustin."  
  
"Probably good for Shane," Hunter grinned, he thought that Shane's ego needed an occasional bruising. "How'd Dustin take it?"  
  
"Since Tori and Dustin have known each other forever." Blake was smiling so widely Hunter could almost see his wisdom teeth. "Pretty well."  
  
Hunter chuckled. "Can't wait until I can join up again. Bro, I've decided that bed rest isn't such a bad idea after all."  
  
Blake sighed with relief, sitting down. "Thank goodness, maybe I'll be able to concentrate in class tomorrow."  
  
"Hopefully I'll be up to school soon," Hunter said casually. "I just said that. I must be going nuts."  
  
"We might want to take your temperature, bro." Blake handed Hunter his homework.  
  
"Yeah," Hunter agreed, putting the homework down for the moment. "But with Cam being so careful, and with good reason, I might as well play along. At least until I get to go back to school. I'll have to ask Cam if he thinks I might be contagious."  
  
"At least you don't have PE, bro," Blake pointed out. "That's a point in your favor."  
  
"Thank goodness," Hunter said adamantly. "Dodge ball at this school? Talk about temptation to use Ninja Powers!"  
  
"I don't think hanging with Dustin helped our social lives," Blake rolled his eyes.  
  
"Dude, if this school can't appreciate him, that's *their* loss." Hunter's frustration showed through. "He may be a goof, but he's *our* goof."  
  
Blake laughed, trying to remember why he'd been so against Dustin at first. Maybe because, at the time, he thought that Dustin and Tori were dating. "So you up for dinner, or..."  
  
"Bro, I'm glad to have dinner." Hunter fidgeted a bit. "Could you grab me a tray? If I'm an invalid, might as well play the part."  
  
His brother stopped laughing and sized him up. "You pissed Cam off today?"  
  
Hunter blushed, staring at the floor. "Scared him, actually. Seems he's worried about me getting something worse and having to be hospitalized."  
  
Blake nodded, his face likewise contorted with worry. "I'm worried too, bro."  
  
"It finally came home to me," Hunter said quietly, "Of how close we are to ending up in foster care."  
  
Blake put a hand on Hunter's shoulder in a reassuring way. "We just can't let it happen, that's all."  
  
Hunter nodded, leaning back. "Not to mention all the forging Cam's done to keep us *out* of foster care." He gulped. "Can you imagine what it would be like to be in foster care?"  
  
Blake shuddered. "No, I'm so glad I got adopted before I was old enough to remember anything."  
  
"Dude, Mom and Dad picked you up from the hospital after you were born," Hunter said, clearly looking a little jealous.  
  
"Yeah." Blake looked down, he couldn't help but think about the fact that his brother hadn't been so lucky to be adopted so early in his life. Hunter had started life with his birth parents, then entered the foster care system following their deaths.  
  
"Me? I have *no* desire to go back to foster," Hunter said adamantly. "No matter what. They try to put me in foster, I'm not sticking around. And I'd take you with me."  
  
Blake looked at Hunter for a minute. "Dude, after you turned eighteen you could get into..."  
  
"I'm *not* letting you stay there," Hunter said fiercely. "Do you know what could've happened to you if I hadn't dragged you back to Mom and Dad at the group home that day?"  
  
"I'd have gotten a crappy brother instead of you?" Blake shoved Hunter affectionately, clearly anxious to change the subject. "Let's go get something to eat. This is scaring me and that's making me hungry."  
  
"I think I'll just go for the tray," Hunter said, settling back in bed. "And I'm not a crappy brother?"  
  
Blake shook his head. "Could be worse."  
  
Hunter grinned.  
  
* * *  
  
"Hunter wants a tray?" Cam repeated incredulously, fixing Blake with a "are you trying to pull a fast one" look.  
  
"I think you scared him to death earlier, he's trying to be a good boy from now on." Blake sat down at the bar that served as the Ninja Ops kitchen table.  
  
"I'm not that upset at him." Cam frowned at the thought of Hunter trying to avoid him. "I'll make him a tray. I want to talk to him anyway." He looked over at Blake. "Make sure nobody eats until I come back, Ranger metabolism or no." Cam took out a tray and filled it, putting enough on it for Hunter's accelerated metabolism.  
  
Blake pouted. "But I'm starving!" His protest sounded more like a whine.  
  
"I won't be long," Cam said reassuringly, and left.  
  
"I won't tell if you grab a snack, Blake. You trained hard today." Sensei winked at Blake.  
  
"Thanks, Sensei," Blake said, reaching in the fridge for some carrot sticks. "If this is a Hunter-Cam discussion, he might be a while."  
  
"Indeed," Sensei acknowledged in his wisest tone.  
  
* * *  
  
Cam took the tray into Hunter and Blake's room. "Hi, Hunter," he said, as the comforter on the top bunk moved and Hunter peered out at him. He couldn't think of anything better to say.  
  
"Hey, Cam. Thanks for bringing dinner," Hunter said, trying to keep the confusion out of his voice. He'd been expecting his other brother.  
  
"Hunter, are you OK?" Cam asked, concerned about the other Ranger.  
  
"Yeah." Hunter rubbed his face. "Other than this blasted cold. But to be honest I was expecting Blake, not you."  
  
"I wanted to talk to you about something." Cam placed the tray on the bunk. Cam wished Hunter had the bottom bunk so he could sit next to Hunter on the bed. "You did nearly give me a heart attack today, but in a way it wasn't something you could do anything about."  
  
"Huh?" Hunter scrunched up his face in confusion.  
  
"When you tried to go after Marah and Kapri," Cam started stiltedly, "I felt the same way the first time I saw them shopping after I gained my Powers, even though I'd been seeing them shop occasionally for weeks. Some kind of Ranger instinct, I think."  
  
"Again, I say: Huh?" Hunter's face crinkled even more.  
  
"It's hard to explain." Cam bit his lip. "It's just that... you did it because your powers told you to, and I didn't think to warn you about it because I didn't think it'd come up."  
  
"Oh." Hunter's facial muscles finally relaxed. "Well, I'm warned now. I'll never do that again."  
  
"Good." Cam nodded at Hunter's answer. "Anyway, eat. I'll be back for the tray." He got up, leaving the tray behind. "That's why I really shouldn't have let you out with me, with your brain as clogged as it was."  
  
"Oh," Hunter repeated, hoping that he didn't sound as stupid as he felt. "You're saying I'm stuck here until I'm un-fuzzy?"  
  
"Pretty much." Cam patted Hunter's shoulder and then headed back into the kitchen.  
  
The End 


	8. Utopia postSS

Disclaimers: Characters belong to BVE and not to us. Video game console also does not belong to us, though one of the authors played games on it as a kid.  
  
Spoilers: Sensei Switcheroo.  
  
Building Family: Utopia by EstiRose and TPTigger c 2004  
  
"I think he's lonely, bro," Blake said, leaning back against the wall of the brothers' shared quarters in Ninja Ops. The two were discussing Cam. More specifically, Cam's reaction to the day's events.  
  
"Well, duh," Hunter offered, sitting on his bed. "His girlfriend's in England and his dad's a guinea pig. It's getting Cam to admit it that's the issue..."  
  
"Not to us," Blake responded. "Especially not to you."  
  
Hunter shrugged, as if that didn't matter. "Okay, I approached some things the wrong way. Did you see the look on his face when he was reminded his father was now a guinea pig?"  
  
"Yeah, that's why I'm thinking you should back off," Blake said. "You didn't have to push him that far."  
  
"He never talks about it." Hunter frowned in concern. "Except for that one time in Storm Chargers when we started it. And even then he didn't say much. Maybe he needs to talk and we just have to pry it out of him."  
  
Blake buried his face in his hands, embarrassed. Couldn't Hunter *let go* of things sometimes? "Did it ever occur to you maybe he talks to Sensei?"  
  
"Did it ever occur to you that maybe in this situation he can't?" Hunter fired back immediately.  
  
"Why, bro?" Blake asked, looking over. "I mean, you've seen how Sensei is with Cam. I mean, guinea pig or no, Sensei *is* Cam's father."  
  
Hunter sat back. "Yeah, well, there are some things you don't discuss with your parents. Like your sex life. Or the fact that your father is now nine inches tall."  
  
Blake winced. "Sex life?" Thank goodness he and Tori were sensible enough to realize that having sex at this point wouldn't help. Neither of them knew what would happen if she became pregnant while she was a Ranger. Besides, her folks and Sensei Omino would kill him. Figuratively.  
  
Hunter studied his brother. "Judging from the look on your face, I don't have to worry about you and Tori. I guess with Cam it would be a *lack* of sex life, given his girlfriend's in the UK."  
  
Blake nodded numbly. "Yeah." At least Cam probably *had* a sex life.  
  
Hunter pressed on, oblivious to his brother's musing. "I mean, he can't really talk about it to his Dad. I mean, his Dad can't do anything about being stuck as a guinea pig, and you know what happened when Cam went to fix that."  
  
"Major disaster, dude." Blake nodded sagely. Sensei hopping into Shane and Dustin's bodies was seriously weird. And it had to be weirder for Cam-- the first human touch from his father in months and it's while he's in *Dustin's* body? Blake was traumatized from a distance, he couldn't imagine how Cam felt.  
  
"Right. It's like we know he has a problem with it, but he doesn't think any of us are mature enough to discuss it." Hunter ceased pacing and spilling into his desk chair.  
  
"He thinks that about a lot of things, dude." Blake sighed at the thought. "If it were anything not ninja related, I'd suggest we borrow Cam's computer and see if we could get Trini's email address. Obviously, we can't tell her *that*."  
  
"No." Hunter frowned, but filed away the plan for future reference if there was something they *could* enlist Cam's girlfriend's help with in the future. "So, how do we get him to open up?"  
  
Blake frowned, not willing to be pulled into Hunter's current plan. "You want him to open up, you do it."  
  
"Fine." Hunter got up again and collecting the stuff he'd need to practice motocross.  
  
Blake shrugged. As far as he was concerned, Cam would either open up or he wouldn't open up, and Hunter could only make it worse. "You're the one who's pretty much adopted him."  
  
Hunter gave a brief nod at that, acknowledging that he was closer to Cam than Blake was. Maybe Cam needed his help more than Blake did nowadays. "But I don't think that's the way to go. He kinda gets annoyed when I talk to him about that." He sat and thought. "Bro, I'm going out for a while. Tell Cam I'm going to practice a bit."  
  
"Tell him yourself," Blake said testily. "You're the one who wants to talk to him.  
  
"Okay," Hunter said. He shrugged into his jacket. "See you later, bro."  
  
Blake nodded, returning to his reading for school.  
  
* * *  
  
But Cam wasn't in the control room of Ninja Ops. CyberCam sat at the main console, typing rapidly into the computer while schematics of the zords danced on the screens. Hunter didn't feel that a hologram had any authority over him, so he just ignored the being; which all the younger Rangers did if at all possible.  
  
"Wait a minute, Dude," CyberCam said sternly, without turning around as Hunter reached the Ninja Ops exit. "Cam said to keep an eye on you. Where are you going?"  
  
"To the track, going riding," Hunter said.  
  
"Without Blake?" The being swiveled in the chair, studying Hunter quizzically.  
  
"It doesn't happen often, but it does happen," Hunter snapped, and sauntered out the secret entrance.  
  
"Dude!" CyberCam's indignant exclamation followed him up the stairs, but he ignored the being once again.  
  
* * *  
  
Hunter got back from the track. He'd had a good ride, but it hadn't given him any clue on how to get Cam to open up to him. Maybe he'd have to enlist Dustin; Dustin was the one teaching Cam how to ride a bike, after all. Sometimes Cam just had to be caught off guard. And who better to get him off guard than Dustin?  
  
CyberCam was still at the computer. "I'm home," Hunter announced, in a fit of perverseness. Besides, Cam had programmed the holographic idiot to keep an eye on Ops. Why Cam had bothered to program CyberCam the way he was, nobody knew. The popular theory was it was to drive them all nuts.  
  
"Sensei is looking for you, dude," CyberCam said casually, not bothering to look up from the display. It was as if he had eyes all over Ops. Probably did. Or the computer that ran his routines did.  
  
"Right. Where is he?" Hunter asked, surprised. Yeah, CyberCam was a computer intelligence, but he didn't usually function as an answering service.  
  
"Practice room, dude," CyberCam said, motioning in the direction of the small room that Cam occasionally used to exercise in, eyes still glued to the screen.  
  
Hunter braced himself, went into the room and knocked. He hoped he wasn't in trouble-- it's not like he hadn't told anyone where he was going or his homework wasn't done. He'd made sure of this; Sensei sometimes got nosy.  
  
"Ah, Hunter," Sensei said, standing in the middle of the room. His "home" wasn't in the room, so Hunter assumed he'd bounced his way in. "I assume CyberCam told you I was here."  
  
"Yes, Sensei," Hunter replied, shifting from foot to foot. "What did you want to see me about?"  
  
"It is about Cam," Sensei explained, gesturing for Hunter to sit. "You are the next oldest of the Rangers. Perhaps you can... talk to him?"  
  
"Sensei, I've been trying to." Hunter sank to the floor, sitting cross-legged.  
  
"Do you know what's bothering him?" Sensei asked. "He won't tell me."  
  
Hunter swallowed. How did one respectfully tell their Sensei-- or their other Sensei, anyway-- that there was probably a reason why his son didn't want to say anything. Especially without giving away what that reason was?  
  
Sensei stood peacefully on the floor, forepaws folded in front of him.  
  
Hunter took a deep breath. "I think I know, but I wouldn't want to say for certain."  
  
"Why not, Hunter?" Sensei's nose wrinkled, his whiskers twitching in concern. "Is Cam in trouble?"  
  
Hunter stared at the guinea pig in disbelief. "Uh, Sensei, this is *Cam* we're talking about. I think I know what's wrong. And I think I know why he's uncomfortable talking to you about it; what I don't know is how to get him to open up to me."  
  
"Ah," Sensei said succinctly, whiskers still twitching.  
  
"I'm trying to think of a way," Hunter added quickly. "I've been thinking of it to and from the track. It's just that I think Cam thinks I'm not old enough to understand some things. Even though I'm nearly a legal adult." Cam would probably never think of either himself or Blake as adults, and he guessed it had something to do with them holding him hostage. Something to bring up with Cam later. After this was handled, at least.  
  
Sensei frowned, as if trying to read him and failing. "Does this have something to do with Trini?"  
  
Hunter blushed, realizing what Sensei must be thinking, and opened his mouth. Then closed it again. Then managed to speak. "No, Sensei, I don't think that's it."  
  
"Then what is it?" Sensei asked curiously. "If it is not Trini, then what?"  
  
"I'll have Cam tell you," Hunter said, shifting backwards a bit. "I don't feel comfortable talking about his problems if he's not willing to talk." *Unlike what he did for me and Blake,* Hunter thought, remembering their abrupt move to Ops. He wondered if he was being overprotective of Cam.  
  
"Very well," Sensei said. "Maybe you can convince him to... come to me?"  
  
"I'll do my best, Sensei," Hunter told the small being, excusing himself. He knew that when he and Blake had been moved to Ops, the team had the courtesy to leave Sensei out of it. Sensei had involved himself this time, but Hunter still felt uncomfortable breaking the implied confidence of the tightness of the team.  
  
Blake was not in their shared room, which was a relief. He figured it would be easier to tackle Cam alone, without his younger brother's help.  
  
It was funny - they'd been close since he could remember, and now that they were part of a larger team, some of their cohesiveness had dissolved. Blake seemed to have a life without him now.  
  
Maybe he was obsessing over Cam. Maybe he couldn't operate without someone to be there for.  
  
But Sensei was concerned, and that was saying something. If nothing else, at least this time, Hunter knew he wasn't imagining things. Hunter knocked on the door to Cam's room.  
  
Cam didn't respond, so Hunter made his way to the kitchen. Maybe Cam was planning the weekly grocery run. It would be so like Cam to be doing that.  
  
The other Ranger wasn't there, but he could hear voices coming from the rec room.  
  
He stopped in there to see... Cam and Blake, playing some kind of pixelly video game. Something that had to be from the eighties, it was that bad. He didn't interrupt them, just stood in the doorway.  
  
Maybe he was taking the wrong tack with Cam, after all. Maybe Blake was right, and he was wrong.  
  
He went back to his room, not wanting to disturb them. He knew that both he and Sensei were concerned about Cam, but... maybe Cam just needed to have fun? Open up? Cam didn't do that easily. He knew that firsthand.  
  
Cam wasn't integrating into the team as well as they thought, but that was no big surprise, given Cam's age. And Cam's position. Cam was a sixth, after all.  
  
Campfire stories and other team bonding activities aside-- Cam was more than willing to listen, but completely unwilling to talk. To any of them. He was willing to be their confidant, but not to confide in them.  
  
Cam, he realized after a moment, was still thinking as the team's support person. The team medic, the dispenser of Power Spheres, the team backup. The older person who was always willing to lend an ear, but not judge or freak out like an adult would. But not part of the team. A Ranger, yes, but not part of the team. It was as if he wasn't able to get over the age difference.  
  
How on Earth did he help Cam get past something like that? There was no way he'd talk about the guinea pig dad thing until he got past that. Maybe Hunter would be best off telling Cam his father was worried, and if he didn't want to talk to someone on the team, then maybe he should talk to his Dad.  
  
It might make it easier to figure out how to bridge the age gap without the time pressure too. Not to mention he could tell Sensei he'd tried. Which he could tell Sensei anyway. What he didn't want to do was to have to tell Sensei that he failed. Not after all the Wind Ninja had done for him and Blake.  
  
Maybe he'd warm up to it. Maybe if *he* talked about his foster father and family then Cam might open up. Maybe he could mention it then. Hunter grinned. Yes, maybe that would work. Even if it didn't... he'd done his best.  
  
He got up and snagged one of Cam's special ice cream bars and made his way back to the rec room where the two were still playing. He arranged himself on one of the sofas and bit into the bar, chewing the chocolate chips while gazing vacantly at the screen.  
  
It was a long while before Blake made a wrong move and the game ended, causing Cam to grin.  
  
Blake looked up at him. "Hey, bro, how long have you been sitting there?"  
  
"A few," Hunter said, folding the wrapper neatly. "Got back from practice, thought I'd hang about." Hang about was the best way to describe it. He'd been 'hanging about' since he'd gotten back in and Sensei had approached him about Cam.  
  
"You want to play?" Cam offered, holding up some kind of controller.  
  
"Sure." Hunter took the controller-- which kind of reminded him of a black iPod, but with buttons above the screen-- and slipped towards the console. "Boy these graphics are really... bad."  
  
"80's game," Blake said by way of explanation.  
  
"Believe it or not, very good games." Cam rolled his eyes in frustration, as if it were Blake and Hunter's fault that they'd grown up with Sega Genesis and its ilk. "You didn't think home video games were invented in the nineties?"  
  
Hunter shrugged. "Whatever. Just tell me how to play."  
  
Cam pointed at Blake.  
  
Hunter realized Cam had given him the controller he had been using, intending for the Hunter to play against his little brother. "What are you going to do?"  
  
"I believe it's called 'dinner'," Cam said. "Especially since someone is throwing their diet out of whack."  
  
Hunter sighed. He thought he was going to play with Cam, work on getting him to open up. He could play with Blake any time. "Never mind, want some help with dinner? And I'm not throwing my diet out of whack!"  
  
Cam pointed silently at the folded-up wrapper.  
  
"I'll go make dinner," Blake volunteered, putting his controller on the floor and getting up. "I'm not going to sit in here and listen to this." And before either could respond, he was out the door, leaving the two of them alone.  
  
"Don't forget the vegetables," Cam called after him, seemingly unconcerned at being left alone with Hunter.  
  
"Yeah, yeah," Blake's voice drifted back into the rec room.  
  
"What did he mean by that?" Cam asked, looking at Hunter, his tone pointed.  
  
"I have no idea," Hunter said, in a manner that he hoped was casual. He leaned back against thin air, trying to look relaxed and slightly bored.  
  
"Right," Cam said in his best sarcastic tone, glaring at him.  
  
"So, Cam, what is this?" Hunter asked as he peered at the weird... controller, as Cam put another cartridge thing in the machine.  
  
"Utopia," Cam muttered, tossing an instruction manual to him, apparently expecting him to read it in five seconds flat.  
  
"I have no idea," Hunter said, in a manner that he hoped was casual. He leaned back against thin air, trying to look relaxed and slightly bored.  
  
"Right," Cam said in his best sarcastic tone, glaring at him.  
  
"So, Cam, what is this?" Hunter asked as he peered at the weird... controller, as Cam put another cartridge thing in the machine.  
  
"Utopia," Cam muttered, tossing an instruction manual to him, apparently expecting him to read it in five seconds flat. While Hunter was trying to read the manual, Cam slid some dinky sheet of plastic in to cover the buttons.  
  
"Okay," he said, looking at the book again. This time he actually read some of the instructions-- which talked about how to get money and build buildings. "You sure this is a video game?"  
  
Cam rolled his eyes. "Yes, Hunter. Home video game systems did exist before Nintendo."  
  
"They did?" Hunter asked, batting his eyelashes sarcastically.  
  
Cam shook his head in disgust.  
  
Hunter looked through the book some more. "This kinda reminds me of Civilization." Hunter looked up at the screen. "Only without the cool graphics."  
  
Cam looked at Hunter and grinned mischievously. "Remind me to introduce you to Planetfall or Zork."  
  
"To what or what?" Hunter found the copyright page in the instruction manual. "Dude, how old were you when you got this?"  
  
"You don't want to know," Cam said, shaking his head and doing something weird that Hunter didn't even *want* to know about. "Let's just say it wasn't the latest and greatest at that point."  
  
"O-kay," Hunter said, examining the booklet again. "So are we going for benevolent ruler or are we channeling our inner Lothors?"  
  
"It's up to you," Cam told him, shrugging. "If you strike me, I'll strike back."  
  
Hunter perused the manual again. "So I can put Rebels on your island. Cool."  
  
"Well, if you *want* to play it that way," Cam said softly, and Hunter had an idea that doing that was liable to cause... problems.  
  
Hunter shrugged. Wasn't worth the effort until he learned the game. "Hey, it's an idea, man."  
  
Cam sighed. "In the meantime, let's start." He tapped a button on his controller, obviously ready, even if Hunter wasn't.  
  
"Whoa!" Hunter fiddled with the buttons on his controller, trying to figure out how to... well, play. "Let me read the manual. It's not like you haven't had this game for a zillion years."  
  
"Read the manual?" Cam leaned away from Hunter as if he were a crazy person. "Hunter, you're talking to a Mac user. We don't need manuals. You're still lucky I have that thing. Besides, the game is pretty intuitive."  
  
"Yeah, for a computer geek like you," Hunter teased.  
  
"Just start planting." Cam held up his own controller to demonstrate. "Move the cursor - the box - with the little disc, and then press 3 and enter when you want to plant stuff. The same if you're trying to build schools, hospitals, or housing."  
  
"Right." Hunter shook his head, clearly still more than a little confused. "Sensei Omino would have never gone for us owning a computer game console. Even one that was 'slightly out of date'."  
  
"I'm sure he preferred you getting fresh air," Cam said.  
  
"He preferred us training," Hunter sighed, remembering how his foster father had acted ever since the two of them had come into his custody. His foster father had truly been training them for something... something so desperate that he hadn't wanted to divert them from it.  
  
"At least he let you train," Cam reminded him. He frowned a little at the controller, as if it was the cause of all his problems. In reality, he probably wished that *his* father had let him train.  
  
Hunter shook his head at Cam's reaction. "All we heard was 'train, train, train', and I don't mean the choo-choo kind," he explained, looking up at the ceiling for a second. "We trained from when we were little upwards. We even had a year of home schooling."  
  
Cam paused the game and turned to Hunter. "Really?" he asked, apparently not being able to imagine Hunter's life at the Thunder Ninja academy.  
  
"Yeah, before Sensei O. decided maybe we should have 'normal socialization'," Hunter explained, as the game pinged at them and started again. "He wanted us to be ready. Sometimes he had to be convinced that 'ready' meant more than martial arts training."  
  
"He should've given you guys a course in Evil Space Ninjas." Cam tried not to reveal that he was beginning to suspect that Blake and Hunter had missed a large part of their childhoods. "And Saturday morning cartoon villains."  
  
"Shane, Tori, and Dustin gave us the latter," Hunter chuckled.  
  
"It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it." Cam returned to the original subject. "Dad... since I was never going to be a ninja, I grew up in public schooling. I was in the GATE program, since I kept testing so high. Dad was so proud of me, that when I asked for this game console, he picked it up-- along with all the games I have-- secondhand. He wasn't *big* on it, but he thought it was a good gift."  
  
"That's cool," Hunter said. "Quite the opposite of our upbringing. One of Sensei O's other teachers had to talk him into letting us do *anything* extracurricular. He talked him into music lessons once, computer classes, some other stuff."  
  
"Like moto x?"  
  
A smile spread across Hunter's face. "Took a lot of talking on that one, but even Sensei O. figured out we needed something, and it kept us from being rambunctious."  
  
Cam nodded, smiling a little bit as well. "I'm sure Dad meant this as a way so that I could occasionally have people over... but when do you have people over when you live at a secret Ninja Academy?"  
  
"Never," Hunter replied, shrugging. "It never stopped Blake from making friends but for me... well, when we got older, I started making friends with the less advanced students. Or trying too-- they'd get a little intimidated hanging out with Sensei O's 'son' who was more advanced than they were, even if I was the same age."  
  
Cam nodded, visualizing a thirteen year old Hunter trying to get along with the kids his age, and suddenly realized that maybe not being trained as a ninja wasn't so bad. Of course, it didn't prevent his words being tinged with envy. "At least you had some training. I made friends with some of the students just so that I could learn Ninja techniques. My own little rebellion."  
  
"I wondered how you got better than the rest of us," Hunter grinned, nudging Cam. "You being sneaky. What a concept."  
  
"Believe it or not," Cam said, "I can be sneaky. How do you think I almost escaped you when you were working for Lothor?" He reminded his teammate subtly of when they first met, and Cam had nearly gotten away from them by confusing the heck out of Blake, and nearly had stopped Hunter as well.  
  
Hunter winced at the memory. "Don't remind me."  
  
"OK, I won't remind you." Cam fiddled with the controller. "I'll just send someone to steal your crops."  
  
Hunter glared at him. "Cheater."  
  
"You can't cheat at video games without an easter egg code," Cam said matter of factly.  
  
"Does this game have easter egg codes?" Hunter's eyes lit up.  
  
Cam smirked.  
  
"Okay...." Hunter started pressing buttons at random.  
  
"Imp," Cam laughed. "Watch what you're doing, you could cause a tsunami."  
  
"Would that focus my cycle? And hey, wait, what's an imp?"  
  
"Mischievous little critter," Cam replied. "Originally, a small demon."  
  
"Oookay," Hunter said, scowling. Not at the definition, but by the fact that Cam had far more points than he did. At least he thought so. He couldn't read the stupid scores on the thing. "You can't tell me you didn't spend hours playing this game."  
  
"When I wasn't doing homework," Cam said, shrugging. Hunter pictured Cam finishing off his homework within a half hour, and then playing this video game all the rest of the evening.  
  
Which made him wonder about something different. Something that Cam had said just after the Mr. Ratwell incident. "Just how did you get a girlfriend?"  
  
"College was different," Cam said matter-of-factly, eyes never leaving the screen.  
  
"Oh?" Hunter asked curiously. Cam, reveal something about himself? This was too good to be true.  
  
"I was required to get out," Cam said, eyes still on the game. "Dad thought it would do me some good to get away from the Academy for a while. That's how I met Trini."  
  
"So heavy on the details. Did you live at home or in the dorms? And where did you meet Trini, a frat party?"  
  
"Kung fu club," Cam said evenly. "And the dorms, Dad really wanted me to experience college life."  
  
Hunter let the comment about the dorms slide. He had other fish to fry. "You and Blake, always going for the tough ones."  
  
"Tori hits a lot harder than Trini," Cam said, a far away smile forming on his lips. "I wouldn't cross Trini, but it's a lot harder to do so than it is with Tori."  
  
Hunter nodded. "So... you met your girlfriend through a martial arts club?"  
  
"Yes. Trini's from Angel Grove," Cam explained. "We were both kind of homesick, though more me than her. She'd spent some time overseas."  
  
"And went back for more?" Hunter asked, referring to the fact that Trini was doing her graduate work at Oxford in the UK.  
  
"Yeah," Cam said. "And I'm going to join her if we can ever get my stupid Uncle away from our planet."  
  
Hunter laughed at Cam's description of his disowned Uncle. "I've heard him described lots of ways, but never 'stupid'."  
  
"You're not stuck with the uncle from hell," Cam reminded him.  
  
The corner of Hunter's mouth quirked upwards. "The place where not-so-nice people go?" he asked lightly, vaguely aware that he'd spent far too much time reading "Nodwick" on the computer lately.  
  
"It's not a curse word if it's been on Nickelodeon. Even if it was the early eighties," Cam muttered, apparently not catching the reference.  
  
"Ok, dude," Hunter said, fiddling with the controller, still trying for a one-up on Cam.  
  
The screen started doing something interesting.  
  
"Hunter, I think you broke the game," Cam stated, nudging him gently.  
  
"Oops." Hunter blushed. "I didn't mean to. Is it fixable?"  
  
Cam hit a button on the console. "It should be."  
  
The game restarted. From the beginning. "What happened to our game?" Hunter asked.  
  
"It's not like this thing has a hard drive or can write on the cartridge," Cam pointed out.  
  
"Oh, yeah, old game," Hunter reminded himself. "So we start over?"  
  
"We can," Cam said, looking at his watch. "Don't know if we'll have time to finish before dinner."  
  
"Didn't I see something on here about short games?" Hunter said, picking up the booklet again, trying in vain to understand what was going on there.  
  
Cam nodded, using the controller to punch in nonsense settings. "I'll set one up."  
  
Hunter leaned back, giving up on reading the manual and hoping that he could win by the seat of his pants. "Cool. Maybe I'll beat you."  
  
"Don't hold your breath, you little whipper snapper," Cam said, grinning.  
  
"Whipper snapper?" Hunter echoed in confusion. "Just how old did you say you were?"  
  
"Older than you think." Cam hit a few buttons, and then he was entering stuff on the screen. "These will be really fast rounds."  
  
"Okay," Hunter said. "At least you don't have to fiddle with our diets anymore."  
  
"Says who? And I was doing that for your own good," Cam said defensively.  
  
"I know, dude. It was important. But it was kinda frustrating."  
  
Cam raised an eyebrow. "Frustrating how?"  
  
"I'm just not used to being under that much of a microscope. And no matter how much you said some junk food was OK, you did have a tendency towards disapproving looks, dude."  
  
"That's because you kept eating my Tofuttis." Cam replied in an offhanded way.  
  
Hunter shrugged, thinking of the taste of the tofu-based ice cream bars. "Is it my fault they were so good?"  
  
"No, it's your fault you can't resist them," Cam said, sounding a little annoyed at that. "I was always running out."  
  
"You know, Cam, there is this magical thing called Whole Foods Market where you can buy those things," Hunter pointed out.  
  
"Yes, but that doesn't mean that you had to be eating them all the time," Cam told him.  
  
Hunter shrugged. "I liked them. You have good taste in dessert. For a soy and tofu nut."  
  
Cam threw up his arms in disgust. "I hate it when you do that."  
  
"Sorry." Hunter backed away a bit.  
  
Cam sighed at Hunter's skittishness. "Let's have a few rounds before Blake comes to get us for dinner."  
  
"Ok." Hunter picked up the controller.  
  
"And no crashing the game this time," Cam admonished.  
  
Hunter looked at Cam skeptically. "Would I do that?"  
  
"You did," Cam pointed out in an even tone.  
  
"I didn't mean to!" Hunter pouted, looking down at the flimsy controller.  
  
Cam was suddenly left with the feeling that he was finding out what it was like to have siblings. He wasn't sure if it was a good feeling or a bad one.  
  
"What?" Hunter asked, breaking into his thoughts.  
  
Cam, not willing to discuss how he felt, motioned with his controller. "Nothing. Shut up and play."  
  
"OK, dude." Hunter glanced at the manual and making his opening move.  
  
They played for a few minutes before Hunter spoke up. "Dude, does yesterday bother you?" he asked, referring to what had happened with Cam's attempt to make his father human again. He glanced at the amulet-morpher around Cam's neck.  
  
Cam paused the game. "Want to tell me where that question came from?"  
  
"Your Dad's really worried about you," Hunter tried.  
  
Cam raised an eyebrow.  
  
"I'm not exactly unconcerned myself." Hunter was looking more at the floor than Cam, but it was clear he wasn't as ashamed as he was acting.  
  
"Fine," Cam said, in a tone that indicated he thought everything was fine. Or at least Cam was pretending everything was fine. The game bleeped at him again and resumed. "I'm okay."  
  
"Cam, you're a worse liar than I am," Hunter pointed out. "And you know how bad a liar I am."  
  
"I don't want to talk about it, not... I don't want to talk about it." Cam caught himself as he was about to confess whatever was bothering him.  
  
"Not with me?" Hunter finished for him, trying not to sound insulted.  
  
It must not have worked, for Cam paused the game again, looking over at his teammate. "Look, Hunter, it's nothing personal, it's just..."  
  
Hunter suddenly became very interested in a chocolate spot on the carpet. "This is one of the times when the age difference matters?"  
  
"Well..." Cam started, trailing off.  
  
Hunter looked up, meeting Cam's eyes for the first time in awhile. "Look, Cam, it's clearly bugging you. I noticed it, your Dad noticed it. The next time you get together with Trini on video chat she'll probably notice it. You have to talk to someone. You can't tell Trini about your Dad being a guinea pig-- not over the 'net anyway-- so that leaves your Dad or someone on the team."  
  
The game beeped again, and Cam pressed a control. "Look, nothing against you. It's just not something that can be explained. To anybody."  
  
"Try."  
  
Cam shook his head. Hunter chalked it up to Cam being far too stupid for his own good. At least on the interpersonal side of things.  
  
"Maybe you should talk to your Dad about this," Hunter said simply. Save him the trouble of mediating between Cam and Sensei.  
  
"My Dad is the last one I can talk to about this," Cam muttered.  
  
"Well you've turned your nose up at talking to me, or the rest of the team," Hunter said. "Who's left? Your fish?"  
  
"Woz," Cam said.  
  
Hunter raised an eyebrow. "Woz?"  
  
"My fish," Cam explained.  
  
"Your fish?" Hunter continued.  
  
"Named after one of the cofounders of Apple Computer. The betta I had before Uncle Moron sucked the whole academy onto his ship was named Steve. I don't think Steve got the benefit of a stasis bubble."  
  
"Oh." Hunter leaned forward. "Come on, Cam, talk to me."  
  
"Again, you are not my brother." Cam enunciated each word as if that could somehow convince Hunter.  
  
For once, Hunter let the point drop. "Aren't I at least your friend?"  
  
Cam frowned at that, he knew where this was going, but he wasn't about to deny it.  
  
"Come on, you know what Dustin says all the time about Ranger teams, at least in the comics." Hunter shoved Cam affectionately.  
  
"I know," Cam said. one corner of his mouth turning up in a not very happy smile. He paraphrased what Dustin had told him once, not long after he became a Ranger. One day where Shane and Dustin had found him far too "stuffy" for his own good. "Your teammates practically become your siblings."  
  
"The way you act sometimes, it's like we're your bratty little siblings," Hunter said, leaning forward.  
  
"You were expecting Simon Tam?" Cam asked mildly.  
  
"Who?" Hunter replied, confused.  
  
"Never mind." Cam returned to the game.  
  
"Okay." Hunter put it out of his mind, or at least filed it away for future reference.  
  
"But I'm not used to everybody being so... close." Cam sighed again. It seemed like the thing to do.  
  
Hunter smiled encouragingly. "Downside of being a Ranger, eh?"  
  
"I guess," Cam said.  
  
"Who else are you gonna talk to?" Hunter pressed.  
  
"Ambushing me will not get a confession, Ron," Cam said.  
  
"You do realize you just compared yourself to Hermione," Hunter pointed out.  
  
"Megabyte, shut up." Cam switched back to the obscure reference strategy.  
  
Hunter raised his eyebrows, not sure what to make of the reference, but determined to forge ahead. "Anyway, me, Sensei, or do I bring in Shane to stare what's wrong out of you?"  
  
Cam dropped the controller and buried his head in his hands. He was muttering in Japanese, and Hunter wished not for the first time that he hadn't let his get rusty. Maybe he should get Blake in to translate. No, Blake's was just as bad.  
  
"Okay, Sensei it is," Hunter said, forgetting the game and getting up. If Cam wouldn't listen to reason, he'd talk to... somebody.  
  
Cam grabbed his wrist, forcing him to stay there. Or at least until Hunter broke his hold. "Sit down."  
  
"You gonna tell me what's wrong, or do I get to pull everything I use on Blake and use it on you instead?" Hunter asked casually, sitting down again and crossing his arms. He heard the game ping, but ignored it.  
  
Cam sighed, seeing that he wouldn't get out of this without a confession. "I couldn't help Dad."  
  
Hunter put a hand on Cam's shoulder. "Cam, that doesn't mean you won't figure out..."  
  
"You don't get it Hunter." Cam brushed off Hunter's hand. "There's never been something I couldn't figure out if given enough time."  
  
"So, have you given yourself enough time yet?" Hunter asked stubbornly.  
  
Cam settled his face back into his palms. "I should have been...."  
  
"Cam, look at me." Hunter paused until Cam looked up. "You've been busy keeping the Winds, and us, alive, not to forget that for the past month and a half you've been Rangering as well. And not letting CyberCam do half the stuff you programmed him for."  
  
Cam shook his head. "After the closet incident, I don't entirely trust him. Not with..."  
  
"Our lives?" Hunter asked, knowing Cam's standards, and still not entirely sure what to make of CyberCam. Especially since he had a tendency to mess up Cam's life if allowed loose.  
  
"Not with you five. No," Cam said. He could have said a lot more things, but Hunter knew. And Hunter could talk him into, or out of, whatever Cam had in mind.  
  
"Cam, he's been doing pretty decently," Hunter pleaded. "Not to mention... have you noticed that your dad's been kicking you out of Ops a lot lately, especially after you got that Amulet of yours?"  
  
"So?" Cam asked, as if getting kicked out of Ops was an entirely natural thing to have happen to him.  
  
"Delegate is not a four-letter word," Hunter said, borrowing the phrase from who-knew-where. Probably out of something he'd read.  
  
Cam rolled his eyes.  
  
"Cam, we're Rangers, we get to protect the city. But we have to remember that we can't do everything and we can't always save everyone." Hunter tapped Cam's forehead, as if this would somehow drive the point home. "Some day Lothor's going to come up with a spell that isn't as benign as his other stuff, and then where will we be?"  
  
"Stuck," Cam said, matter of factly.  
  
"Anyway," Hunter continued, "just because your Dad's still a guinea pig doesn't mean you failed."  
  
"I couldn't turn him back." Cam was nearly whispering. "I gave him false hope."  
  
"He's still alive," Hunter pointed out. "That's the most important thing. And he knows you're thinking about trying to change him back. That's more hope than any experiment you could possibly do."  
  
Cam stared at Hunter. Really stared. "You really think I'll crack it, don't you?"  
  
"I think you can do anything given enough time and the right tools," Hunter said. He wasn't lying; Cam was really a miracle worker. He just couldn't remember to take breaks.  
  
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Cam said dryly, misinterpreting Hunter's sentiment, or ignoring it.  
  
"Look, if anybody can do it, you can," Hunter pointed out. "We don't expect you to be perfect all the time, Cam."  
  
"Sometimes," Cam said, "I have to be. Especially with a whole world on my shoulders."  
  
"Hey that's a sixth of the world, buddy, and don't you forget it." Hunter jabbed Cam in the ribs. "As such, you are allowed to be human and you don't have to be perfect. In fact, you can't be."  
  
"Yes, I can," Cam argued. "If I hadn't, I wouldn't have had a team to be a part of."  
  
"Just because you did things right in the past, doesn't make you perfect," Hunter pointed out. "Your Mom didn't pick you for the Power because you were perfect. She picked it because you were capable, you were worthy, and your heart was in the right place. You did an excellent job on that mission. You're a great Ranger. Perfection, however... can I point out that on your first mission you got turned into a bug?"  
  
Cam grimaced. "Please, don't remind me."  
  
"That's exactly it." Hunter inexplicably beeped Cam's nose. "You're allowed to get things wrong. You've done a lot. But you can't do everything."  
  
"I should be able to do *more*." Cam turned off the game.  
  
Hunter smacked Cam's forehead. "You keep this up and you're going to end up with a savior complex."  
  
"Don't scare me like that, Hunter, you sound like Lex Luthor in Smallville." Cam shoved Hunter affectionately.  
  
"Maybe that's exactly what you need," Hunter told him. He paused, coming up with a new idea. "You remember why you and the other Rangers brought us to live here?"  
  
"Because you weren't safe where you were." Cam gently hit Hunter upside the head. "Also because you were getting sick. This is different, Hunter."  
  
"No, it isn't," Hunter insisted. "We were there because neither of us could get it through our minds that it was okay to ask you for help."  
  
Cam glared at Hunter, making it clear that he didn't want to talk to his younger teammate. "I don't need help, Hunter."  
  
"That's what Blake and I thought." Hunter said, knowing that Cam was still being stubborn, and just needing a little nudge to spill what was upsetting him. It worked with Blake, anyway.  
  
"That's because you were sick," Cam reminded him.  
  
"Yeah, and who came and *insisted* we move to Ops? Who found out where we lived? Face it, sometimes you know you need help, but can't ask for it." Hunter looked at the game again, knowing that Cam would either take the hint, or he wouldn't.  
  
Cam glared at Hunter. Maybe Cam was better at listening than hearing. Or maybe he was hearing only what he wanted to hear.  
  
"Or maybe you can't." Hunter got up. "I'm gonna see what Blake and Tori are up to in the kitchen."  
  
He really didn't think that Tori had come back with Blake, but it seemed to affect Cam in some way ever since Mr. Ratwell and the love spell. Hunter wondered, absently, if Cam would feel the same way if he'd heard Blake's comments about his use of the phrase "sex life" earlier.  
  
"When did Tori get here?" Cam asked, wrinkling his nose.  
  
Yup, Hunter had managed to activate Cam's big brother instinct. Maybe if he gave Cam a chance to gather his thoughts, he wouldn't be so defensive.  
  
"Dunno, just guessing she might be. See you in a minute." With that, Hunter walked towards the door.  
  
Cam scrubbed a hand over his face, breathing deeply. He made a mental note that if the Rangers ever took prisoners, he should tell Shane to let Hunter handle the interrogations. The taller Ranger had the instinct for it.  
  
Hunter came back after a minute, sitting back down again as if nothing had happened. "No Tori, but Blake says dinner's going to be a little bit late. He burned something."  
  
Cam shook his head, but didn't say anything. There was nothing to be said, neither as unofficial big brother or informal interogee.  
  
"Did I spin your head too much?" Hunter asked, looking concerned. "You need some time to yourself?"  
  
"Maybe... I really do need to talk to Dad," Cam said haltingly, as if he couldn't quite believe what he was saying.  
  
Hunter sagged in relief, briefly touching Cam's shoulder. "'kay. I'll be in the kitchen trying to keep Blake from burning anything else if you need me."  
  
"Thanks." Cam patted Hunter's shoulder reassuringly. It seemed he wasn't the only one freaked out by this mess. "Tell Blake if he burns the kitchen down, no more cooking lessons."  
  
Hunter smiled. "Will do." He headed for the kitchen, clearly intent on playing fire marshall.  
  
Cam got up and stretched, heading towards the practice room where he knew his Dad was working out.  
  
He paused in the doorway, watching the small shape bounce around the room, which was pretty much an extension of Ninja Ops, right down to the rock walls with wooden struts. Cam waited for his father to pause in his intense workout. Guinea pig size or not, his father hadn't let his daily workouts lapse.  
  
Finally, the small form stopped. "Yes, son?" his father asked patiently, standing in the middle of the room, paws folded in front of him  
  
"Well... uh..." Cam stammered, unsure how to actually translate his feelings into words now he was faced with his father's presence. His training uniform suddenly felt overly warm, and he missed being able to wear normal clothes around Ops.  
  
His father leapt to his shoulder. "Is something wrong, son?"  
  
"Um," Cam said, still not sure where to start. Other than maybe he should have installed air conditioning in the room.  
  
"Sit down," his father told him in a gentle command.  
  
Cam collapsed down against the wall shakily. "Dad... I'm sorry."  
  
Cam pulled his knees to his chest, breathing deeply in an attempt to calm himself. His father hopped onto Cam's knees in order to face him, and studied his son quizzically. "What could you possibly have to be sorry for, Cam?"  
  
"I'm sorry I wasn't able to get you back to normal," Cam managed, though he wasn't sure how.  
  
"Cam," his father said patiently, "I am still your father no matter what size or form that I am in."  
  
"I know, Dad," Cam whispered. "But it's not like we can exchange high fives or... It's just hard. It was so weird when..." Cam trailed off, unable to articulate what he wanted to say.  
  
"What was so weird?" His father's whiskers twitched in consternation at Cam's inability to speak.  
  
"When you were in Dustin's body, and you put your hand-- or his hand... er..." Cam sighed, clearly frustrated at the semantics. "It was you touching me, but it wasn't... and..." Cam shook his head. He couldn't even begin to articulate what that felt like. Even if there was no one but his father around to see how unmanly he really was...  
  
"Cam." The guinea pig form sat down. "I enjoyed being back in a human form as well, and being able to be there for you in a size comparable to your own. However, I cannot help but feel that this was not meant to be, at least not at this point. If it is anyone who should be sorry, it is me, for not being to be there in ways you need."  
  
Cam reached out and touched his father gingerly, trying not to muss his clothes or knock off his hat. His father made a face.  
  
Cam shuddered. It was as if he'd forgotten for a moment that his father was sentient, not a regular guinea pig.  
  
Cam shuddered.  
  
"Cameron?" Sensei scratched his nose in confusion.  
  
Cam frowned, shaking his head. "You just look like Ralph when you do make that face."  
  
His father chuckled. "I forgot you used to have a guinea pig."  
  
"Probably didn't help that I named him after a mouse." Cam smiled. When he got the guinea pig, he'd already decided to name his pet after a character in a Beverly Cleary book, and he was going to, right species or not.  
  
"No," his father agreed.  
  
"But I still feel that using my morpher should have worked." Cam sighed, shaking his head at his own perceived ineptitude. "It's very powerful."  
  
His father patted his knee comfortingly. "Power is meant for a particular purpose, Cam, my predicament is not the intended purpose of your Ranger powers."  
  
Cam gave him a small smile. "It feels so powerful, like it can do more than just transform me. Like I could do more with it." The amulet around his neck could do amazing things, he knew. But he hadn't solved the problem of returning his father to normal, and he was sure he could do that.  
  
"In defense of the planet, not your father," his father reminded him gently.  
  
"It's not fair," Cam blurted. It really wasn't. Why should his father be stuck in this tiny form, unable to do anything, dependent on Cam for anything that required going outside?  
  
"Life isn't always fair," Sensei said simply. Cam nearly slapped his head. How many times had he told Blake or Hunter, or one of the other Rangers that?  
  
"Blake and Hunter would never let me hear the end of it if they got word of that little slip," Cam said ruefully.  
  
His father chuckled. "It would not give credence when you are arguing with Hunter."  
  
"Especially when he starts thinking he's my big brother again." Cam shuddered.  
  
Sensei scratched his nose uncomfortably.  
  
A sudden wave of intuition crept over Cam. "You said something to him, didn't you? That's how he knew you were worried?"  
  
"I was concerned," his father said simply. "I could see he was worried as well."  
  
Cam scrubbed a hand over his face. "Dad, do me a favor? Please don't encourage Hunter. He seems to have a mother hen complex."  
  
"He is your teammate, and closest to you in age," his father pointed out. "I thought it likely if you were to talk to someone, it would be him."  
  
Cam sighed at his father's presumption, but let it go. "I'm about ready to storm Lothor's ship myself. Just to get him out of here so I can get to England all ready."  
  
"Patience, Cam," his father counseled gently. "I know that you... all of you... are doing your best."  
  
"I know," Cam said. "I just... I like being a Ranger, but I don't want to put my life on hold forever." He had to see Trini sometime. Touch her. Talk to her face to face. But when Lothor had attacked, when he had become a Ranger, everything was put on hold.  
  
"I doubt that you will be fighting forever," his father said. "I expect you will be seeing Trini sooner than you think."  
  
Cam smiled. "I hope so."  
  
"I know so." His father sniffed delicately. "Go, relax. And... I believe that someone is burning dinner."  
  
"Oh no, not again!" Cam gently set his father on the floor. "I'd better go teach Blake how not to do that."  
  
His father chuckled. "Go."  
  
Cam got up, and headed towards the kitchen, intent on reigning in the chaos being created by the Bradley brothers.  
  
-end 


	9. Ancient History

Disclaimer: Characters belong to BVE and VRP, not to us.  
  
Rating: PG for a swear word.  
  
Ancient History by EstiRose and TpTigger c 2004  
  
"Tori, what are you doing here?" Cam asked. It was unusual for one of the Winds to hang around Ninja Ops when they weren't training or dealing with a monster attack. Or just seeking to irritate him.  
  
"Looking for Blake, have you seen him?" Tori asked, looking beyond him at Hunter, who was dallying around the scroll shelves.  
  
Hunter shrugged, not bothering to make any effort to find his little brother. "He's the one who's tracked me all his life, not the other way around."  
  
"Oooh, I sense a story here," Tori said eagerly, settling down at the low table.  
  
Hunter turned around from the bookshelf and rolled his eyes at Tori. "Just how I was adopted, no big deal."  
  
Cam turned around from the Ninja Ops mainframe to face the other two. "There you go, alluding to that again. That's the third time this week. Is it on your mind for some reason?"  
  
"Nah," Hunter replied, easing into a runner's stretch.  
  
"So are you going to tell us, or are you just going to drive us all crazy?" Tori batted her eyelashes at Hunter.  
  
"I'm going to drive you all crazy." Hunter balanced precariously on his right leg, holding onto his left ankle and gently flexing his left leg . "Look, it's not a big deal. In fact, it's ancient history."  
  
Tori shot him her infamous puppy dog eyes until he rolled his own. "So teach us about ancient history."  
  
"Look, when I say ancient history, I mean ancient history. Like, in the past. Kind of like, something we don't really think about any more." Hunter leaned against the wall casually, but from the look on his face, it was clear he wasn't sure if he wanted to part with that piece of his past.  
  
"Why not?" Cam asked, his full attention on Hunter.  
  
"Because..." Hunter sighed. He dropped his voice so it was barely audible, and the other two had to strain to hear it. "Because it reminds us we're not really brothers."  
  
"Bullshit," Cam said suddenly.  
  
"CyberCam?" Tori and Hunter chorused in amazement. Had the virtual being taken on Cam's form? If so, where was the real Cam?  
  
Cam shook his head. "I'm capable of the occasional bad language too. Especially when one of my 'little brothers' is being an idiot."  
  
Hunter just stared, it was unclear if he was disconcerted by Cam's language, by being called an idiot, or by Cam referring to him and Blake as his little brothers-- he'd never done that before.  
  
Cam got up, putting a hand on Hunter's shoulder. "Look, Hunter, you know as well as I do that there's very little about you and Blake that doesn't scream 'brothers'. And anything that doesn't is pretty much controlled by genetics."  
  
Hunter frowned, studying Cam carefully.  
  
"Come on," Tori pleaded.  
  
Hunter sighed, looking from Cam to Tori. "Can we go somewhere a little less.. dank?"  
  
Tori smiled gently. "How about out by the lake?" she asked, referring to the place where they'd run into Madtropolis, where Cam had told her of his wish to be a Ranger.  
  
"Fine, anywhere Dustin and Shane aren't going to randomly wander in and start ribbing me," Hunter said brusquely, heading for the back door. It took the two of them a moment - or a minute - to get around to following him, and Cam caught Tori looking at him questioningly.  
  
The two of them walked out to the lakeside, where Hunter had retrieved Cam's collection of skipping stones and was using them.  
  
Cam gently pried them from Hunter's hands, getting the taller Ranger's attention. "Hunter."  
  
Hunter sighed, and sat on a rock. "Mom and Dad adopted because they couldn't have their own kids. They went through one of those agencies where the birth parents choose the adoptive parents. There was... I never quite understood it, but basically Blake's parents were in deep trouble with their families for being together, they couldn't keep him..."  
  
Cam and Tori took up comfortable positions on the ground near him, slouching like small children listening to a teacher read from a book.  
  
Hunter swallowed, then continued. "Anyway, Mom and Dad decided they wanted another child, but the waiting lists for babies are pretty long. They were thinking they'd find Blake a brother or sister about his age..."  
  
"How'd they end up with you?" Tori straightened up, surprised.  
  
"I'm getting there." Hunter got up. "Unless you'd rather I skip stones."  
  
Cam stood and pushed Hunter down by the shoulders. "Keep talking." Cam sat down, this time close enough to Hunter to reach him if needed.  
  
"They came to the group home where I was... well, back, *again*-- and I'd rather leave out that part of the story." Hunter paused, glaring at Cam and Tori as if daring them to object. They didn't. "They were up in the nursery, where all the really little kids lived-- though never for too long, if you're cute..."  
  
Tori shuddered, clearly uncomfortable. "It's not... like a pound or anything?"  
  
"Relax, Tori, it's a no kill shelter." A sardonic grin spread over Hunter's face.  
  
Cam shoved Hunter, reminding him to get on with the story.  
  
"Anyway, Blake wandered off-- he had a penchant for doing that. Usually, he just found something interesting and decided to check it out, so he lost track of me and Mom or whoever was with us.  
  
"That day, from what I've heard, it was more like he had a purpose. I don't know, maybe it was the hands of destiny guiding him. Maybe he'd just seen the cool animal rockers in the playground-- he always did love those things.  
  
"Anyway, somehow, at two years old, he found his way onto the playground of the orphanage.  
  
"There were some rough kids there. I was hanging out by the building, observing a grasshopper-- OK, I was hiding out brooding..."  
  
"At four?" Cam asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
Hunter sighed in exasperation. "I was born a champion brooder. Do you want to hear the story or not?"  
  
"Ok, ok, I'm all ears." Cam held up his hands in an "I'm harmless" position.  
  
Hunter rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I didn't know he was a visitor, I just thought he'd wandered off away from the baby room, so I got him to take my hand, marched into the building and back upstairs. Mom and Dad had just noticed he was gone and were frantic. The counselor, Mrs. H-- I don't remember her full name, but it was foreign and unpronounceable-- was trying to calm them down. So I walked in and said, 'Hey, Mrs. H. I think you lost someone.' Mom and Dad just gaped."  
  
"How come?" Cam asked.  
  
"Apparently he generally was a bit of a loner, stubborn, and didn't like strangers touching him," Hunter explained. "Yet here I was, leading him upstairs like it was the most natural thing in the world."  
  
"Our Blake? Antisocial?" Tori asked.  
  
Hunter shrugged. "I seem to have that effect on him."  
  
"So, the Bradleys adopted you after that?" Tori asked.  
  
"It was more complicated than that," Hunter said. "But let's just say they didn't bother with the baby room after I brought Blake up. We talked a bit, then they came for an appointment with my case worker-- I was brought in early, and someone... can't remember who... was watching Blake. He was playing with... I dunno, Duplos or a truck or something, and I just... started playing with him. So they got out of the office and stared again." He shrugged, writing that bit off as not important. "I think it's safe to say that Blake picked me to be his big brother."  
  
Tori grinned at that, obviously visualizing her boyfriend at a very young age. "I'd say."  
  
Hunter played with a reed. "Sensei Omino used the word 'destiny' a lot about it."  
  
Cam patted Hunter's shoulder. "Dad did say you two were destined to be the Thunder Rangers."  
  
"What? We're brothers just because we have a shared destiny?" Hunter scrunched up his face, nearly shredding the reed with shaking hands. "I really think it's more than that."  
  
"It probably is," Tori said encouragingly, touching Hunter's shoulder.  
  
Hunter smiled. "Glad I'm not crazy on that."  
  
"Blake would definitely agree with you." Tori touched his shoulder.  
  
"Speaking of Blake," Cam said, "Think he's back yet, Tori?"  
  
Tori checked her watch. "I thought he'd be here by now," she said, thoughtfully.  
  
"Well, here I am," a voice behind him announced. "Been reliving ancient history, bro?"  
  
"Yeah," Hunter admitted. "It's all Cam's fault, though. How long have you been standing there?"  
  
"Long enough." Blake slipped his arm around Tori's shoulders. "Of course it's Cam's fault. It's always Cam's fault. C'mon Tori."  
  
Tori smiled. "Let's go."  
  
The two of them left, leaving Cam and Hunter at the lake. "I guess that's our signal to go in, too," Hunter said. "Let's go before it gets cold out here."  
  
"You go in." Cam waved him on. "I want to stay out here for a while."  
  
"Suit yourself." Hunter hurried inside, trailing after his brother and Tori, not catching up with them, simply trailing behind.  
  
And Cam sat at the shore of the lake, alone, thinking about destiny, might have beens, and how his little brothers met.  
  
(end) 


	10. Birthday Surprises

Disclaimer: Anybody who looks familiar belongs to BVE/VRP. Anybody who doesn't shouldn't be in here.  
  
Authors' notes: Sorry about the delay. RL happened. Next round should get back to being episode-related.  
  
Spoilers: Very minor spoilers for "Legacy of Power".  
  
Building Family: Birthday Surprises by TPTigger and EstiRose c 2004  
  
Rrrinng!  
  
Hunter swore, diving for the DVD player remote. Cam was working on the zords and Blake was out with Tori. That left him to answer the phone. The cordless was in the kitchen and he was in the rec room. He dashed down the hallway into the kitchen and snatched the phone, picking it up before the caller was transferred to voicemail.  
  
"Hello?" Hunter tried not to sound out of breath.  
  
"Hi, is this Blake or Hunter?" an unfamiliar, female voice asked.  
  
Hunter wrinkled his nose in confusion. "Um, it's Hunter. You seem to have me at a disadvantage."  
  
"I'm sorry, this is Trini Kwan," the voice said brightly.  
  
"Cam's girlfriend?" Hunter had never been told her last name.  
  
"Yes," Trini said. "Is he around?"  
  
"Out doing some stuff for his Dad," Hunter said, knowing that the 'stuff for his dad' wasn't really stuff for Sensei, just one of the forty thousand pieces of maintenance that Cam insisted on doing. "Um... he probably wasn't expecting a call." But Hunter knew Cam could be there within moments, if it was urgent enough. After all, Cam was only doing some visual inspections on Dustin's zord, and that hardly classified as 'urgent'. "I'm sure if he knew that you were calling, we could get him out of the field."  
  
Trini chuckled at something. Probably Cam did the same thing to her as he did to them. "Actually, I was hoping to talk to you or your brother. Did you know that Cam's birthday was coming up?"  
  
"That would imply he actually told us that kind of thing," Hunter replied, hoping his tone would remind her that Cam wasn't exactly good at *sharing*. Or at least he hoped she knew. Cam might react differently to Trini than he did with his teammates and father.  
  
"He is kind of secretive," Trini acknowledged, and from the sound of her voice, she was *very* familiar with Cam's antics. "It makes it hard to ask if he's made any plans."  
  
"Knowing Cam, he plans to code." Hunter frowned at the thought of Cam spending his birthday working.  
  
"Do you think you can keep him from leaving town?" Trini asked.  
  
"Huh?" Hunter barely managed not to drop the phone. Why would he need to keep Cam in town? Did Trini think he'd go to Vegas for his birthday or something?  
  
"I found a great deal on tickets from Gatwick to Silver Hills International and not such a bad price on the puddle hopper to Blue Bay Regional. I have to fly out of Reefside back to Silver Hills, but it's not a long way and I have an old friend who moved there recently."  
  
Hunter grinned. "You plan to surprise Cam on his birthday."  
  
"Yeah," Trini said. She dropped the volume of her voice. "I was sort of looking for a coconspirator or two."  
  
"I can get Blake in on this, no problem," Hunter said, instantly liking the woman and her warm, conspiratorial manner. *And there's three more where that came from, but how do I explain that?*  
  
"Thanks," Trini said, sounding relieved. "It's up to you what you do, but make sure he doesn't go anywhere."  
  
Hunter was still grinning. If only Cam knew what was in store for him. "I'll just be the irritating little brother."  
  
"Little brother?" Trini echoed, her conspiratorial tone lost in one of abject confusion.  
  
Hunter tried not to swear at his misstep. Cam kept stuff like *that* from his *girlfriend*. Kept their adoptive relationship a secret. Suddenly he was less insulted about Cam's secretiveness. "I... um... adopted him."  
  
"I knew Cam was hanging out with you two some, I didn't realize it had gotten that far," Trini said, clearly a little hesitant.  
  
"It took him three months to tell us about you," Hunter soothed. "I think he likes his secrets or something. I'm really surprised he didn't mention his birthday. Oh, wait, no, I'm not. He's still in denial."  
  
Trini's smile reached through the thousands of miles' distance. "Cam wouldn't be Cam if he acted any other way."  
  
"It's not just me!" Hunter hopped onto a bar stool. This was likely going to turn into a long conversation. "That's good to know."  
  
"Anyway, let me give you my e-mail address," Trini said.  
  
"Sounds good," Hunter said, grabbing his math notebook. It wasn't like he didn't put half of his English notes in there anyway.  
  
Trini gave him her e-mail address, and he read it back slowly to make sure he got it right. Heavens knew where his e-mail would end up if he misspelled her user name.  
  
She confirmed he had the right e-mail address, and he nodded, only vaguely aware that she couldn't see it. "Ok, just e-mail me your flight details and Blake or I will pick you up at the airport."  
  
"Thanks so much, Hunter," Trini said warmly. "It was nice to talk to you. I'll see you... sooner than you think."  
  
"Cool," Hunter grinned. "Talk to you later."  
  
He and Trini said good bye and he hung up. "So, we get to meet Cam's girlfriend. This could be interesting."  
  
"Bro?" Blake asked, having just walked in, still wearing his motocross armor.  
  
"That was Trini," Hunter said simply, shrugging his shoulder at the phone.  
  
Blake's eyes got wide and his whole posture tensed up. "Dude, Cam's in the zord bay, he could've..."  
  
"She wanted to talk to one of us," Hunter said, trying to defuse Blake. "Not Cam."  
  
"Why?" Blake asked. "Did they...."  
  
Hunter shook his head. "Cam's going to have a little bit of surprise in his birthday."  
  
"Cam's birthday's soon?" Blake asked, cocking one eyebrow.  
  
Hunter nodded. "Nice of him to tell us, isn't it? Trini found a nice deal on plane tickets, so she's coming for a visit."  
  
Blake grinned, and poked his head into the refrigerator. "Wonder what she looks like."  
  
His brother shrugged. "I'm sure Cam has a picture. Or we can steal his laptop for an iChat."  
  
"That's something we don't want him catching us at," Blake shuddered, closed the fridge, opened the freezer, and pulled out a Tofutti.  
  
"No, but I know Cam's schedule and Trini's e-mail address. We'll figure out something." His mind was racing with possibilities. Unfortunately, most of them wouldn't work.  
  
"You're sneaky, bro," Blake said, a grin spreading over his face.  
  
"Learned it from the best." Hunter slouched against the wall, still in thought. "We should get the others in on this. Or at least Shane."  
  
"Tori's the one with the car," Blake pointed out.  
  
"Okay, and Tori. I guess Dustin as well." Hunter shook his head. He *liked* Dustin, but.... "I hope we can keep this under wraps until Trini arrives."  
  
"Maybe we shouldn't tell Dustin," Blake said, knowing that neither of them were still quite comfortable around Dustin.  
  
"If we don't, Tori or Shane will," Hunter said, shrugging. "You know how inseparable those three are."  
  
Blake nodded in agreement. "And then his feelings will be hurt." Blake made a face, clearly not enamored with that idea. "Good point."  
  
"Cam won't suspect anything from Dustin, either," Hunter said thoughtfully, a smile tugging at his lips. "Dustin can keep him occupied."  
  
"Dude, you *are* devious." Blake polished off his snack.  
  
Hunter grinned. "Let's get together with the Winds."  
  
"Right, " Blake said, picking up the phone.  
  
* * *  
  
Half an hour later, the five of them were safely sitting in a pizza joint in midtown Blue Bay Harbor, eating pizza and throwing out plans to keep Cam occupied. That, and getting plans shot down by practicalities.  
  
"Too bad we can't just tell Trini about the Ranger thing," Dustin whispered, looking around as he spoke. "Then all we'd have to do is thrash the zords."  
  
"Dude! I hadn't even thought of that," Hunter said, eyes lighting up. "We can't just keep him occupied, we have to get him out of Ninja Ops."  
  
"Getting him out of Ops is the problem, dude," Shane said, taking a bite of the pepperoni-pineapple pizza.  
  
Tori bit her lip and reached for a slice of cheese pizza. "It's not like we can just ask him to meet us for lunch or something-- he'd be totally onto us."  
  
Hunter nodded in Dustin's direction. "I'd say Cam needs to improve his motorbike skills." He took a sip of his soda.  
  
"Dude, you want the first time for Cam to see his girlfriend in months is when he's just come off the track?" Dustin asked, shaking his head while contemplating another slice of the pineapple pepperoni. "Hello! Mud doesn't make a good impression."  
  
"He's right." Tori wiped pizza sauce off her hands. "We have to get him somewhere.... somewhere...."  
  
"Geeky," Blake suggested.  
  
"Too bad MacWorld expo was months ago." Shane sighed and reached for the cola pitcher.  
  
"Yeah," Hunter echoed. He brightened. "Hey, Blake, isn't your birthday coming up?"  
  
"Dude, what's that got to do with anything, bro?" Blake asked, his nose wrinkling at the jump in topic.  
  
Tori grinned, catching the hint. "How about we involve Cam in a little surprise party?"  
  
"You're going to surprise Cam by making him think you're surprising me?" Blake said. "And dude, he signed us up for school-- won't he realize you're two weeks early?"  
  
"Nah, I'll just explain to him that I can't throw a birthday party for you on your legal birthday, you'd be suspicious. However, on your *real* birthday...." Hunter said, hoping the others would understand, and catch that this sudden custom was a trick, not a custom at all. Of course, then it had to work on Cam....  
  
"You realize if he knows anything about birth certificates, you're screwed, right?" Blake shook his head at his brother's willingness to depend on a hole in Cam's knowledge.  
  
"Hey, he keeps secrets from us, he's not going to be surprised that we have secrets from him." Hunter reached for another slice of the cheese pizza.  
  
"I'm not saying it won't work, but if it doesn't, you'd better have one hell of an explanation, bro." Blake waggled his finger at his brother.  
  
"Custom?" Hunter tried, eyes going wide.  
  
Blake just looked at Hunter with a glare, and then turned his attention back to Tori, shrugging.  
  
Hunter just shook his head. "Let's get back before Sensei and Cam suspect anything."  
  
"Good idea, bro," Blake said, getting up and picking up the leftover cheese pizza.  
  
"Cam would view pizza as suspicious?" Shane asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"When we didn't try to drag him along?" Hunter replied, making a motion at the pizza and at the crowded pizza parlor. "You'd better believe it, buddy."  
  
"Right," Shane got up, tossing a couple more bills down on the table, having clearly rethought the tip. "Let us know when Trini's due."  
  
Blake pretended to balk. "She's coming for a visit, not..."  
  
Hunter thudded him.  
  
"Right." Blake rubbed his arm.  
  
"We'll catch you two later," Shane said, as he, Tori, and Dustin headed for Tori's van. "Keep Cam out of trouble."  
  
"We'll try," Hunter said, dragging Blake away from Tori in order to prevent a prolonged good-bye.  
  
* * *  
  
Cam was apparently still up with the Zords, as CyberCam was now at the main monitor, typing in commands and talking to his creator. "Yo," he said, not even looking up. But then again, CyberCam had eyes all over the main room of Ops. "Motocross practice?"  
  
"Yeah, dude," Blake said, hoping CyberCam wouldn't notice him holding the container of slightly cold pizza.  
  
CyberCam nodded and returned to the diagnostics, apparently finding the Thunders a low priority in his programming. The two Thunders headed up the hall. "That was close," Hunter muttered, eyeing Blake's pizza.  
  
"Yeah, dude," Blake added, wiping his brow.  
  
"At least Cam won't ask where we've been." Hunter pulled out Trini's e-mail address, studying the page of paper and ripping it out of his notebook.  
  
* * *  
  
Cam was apparently still up with the Zords, as CyberCam was now at the main monitor, typing in commands and talking to his creator. "Yo," he said, not even looking up. But then again, CyberCam had eyes all over the main room of Ops. "Motocross practice?"  
  
"Yeah, dude," Blake said, hoping CyberCam wouldn't notice him holding the container of slightly cold pizza.  
  
CyberCam nodded and returned to the diagnostics, apparently finding the Thunders a low priority in his programming. The two Thunders headed up the hall. "That was close," Hunter muttered, eyeing Blake's pizza.  
  
"Yeah, dude," Blake added, wiping his brow.  
  
"At least Cam won't ask where we've been." Hunter pulled out Trini's e-mail address, studying the page of paper and ripping it out of his notebook.  
  
"Dude, what are you going to e-mail her now?" Blake asked, sitting on his bed.  
  
"My e-mail address, mostly." Hunter sat at the desk and started up the Bondi Blue iMac Cam had set up in their room.  
  
"Makes sense," Blake admitted over the startup chime. "So, what do we do next?"  
  
"We wait." Hunter turned to the computer, tapping his fingers through the startup sequence.  
  
"Oh, OK," Blake said, squirming.  
  
"Chill, bro," Hunter said. "If you practically scream 'I've got a secret' in your body language, Cam will know we're up to something."  
  
"That's because I'm being used as bait." Blake started digging through his backpack, looking for the Shakespeare play he had to write a paper on.  
  
"You're not bait," Hunter said reassuringly as he booted up his e-mail program.  
  
"I'm the one who's having a 'surprise birthday party'," Blake reminded him, finally pulling the book with the play in it out of his backpack.  
  
"That's not bait," Hunter told him, eyes riveted on the screen as he started typing.  
  
"What is it?" Blake asked, putting the book down and crossing his arms.  
  
"You're tricking Cam into thinking he's surprising you," Hunter said as he looked down, as if to double-check Trini's e-mail address.  
  
"And how do I do that?" Blake asked, leaning against the wall.  
  
Hunter smiled. "Act surprised."  
  
"Ok, dude." Blake sat up, dubiously picking up the book again.  
  
"Soon as Cam comes in, I'll broach the subject. You have to make dinner anyway...." Hunter sent the e-mail and logged out of the program.  
  
"Is that a hint?" Blake sighed, threw the book down, and headed for the kitchen.  
  
Hunter shrugged in belated apology and went to hang in the main room of Ops. Mainly to annoy CyberCam, but also to watch for Cam's arrival.  
  
He settled on leaning over CyberCam's shoulder as the virtual replicant talked to Cam about repairs.  
  
"Anything else, CyberCam?" Cam asked, sounding tired. Maybe he was ready to come in. Hunter was ready for him to come in.  
  
"Can you ask Hunter to leave me alone? He's, like, totally tripping me out." The cyber-being turned and glared at Hunter.  
  
"Hunter," Cam said over the comm, in his best 'why do you do this to me' tone, "go leave him alone. I'm sure you have homework due."  
  
Hunter sighed, knowing he'd have to move, and standing up. "All right, all right. Come find me when you're done, OK? Preferably without Blake around."  
  
Cam's voice changed to one of concern, and Hunter could well imagine Cam's expression at the moment. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing, dude, just want to talk to you about something." Hunter hoped he sounded reassuring.  
  
"Very well," Cam said so dubiously that Hunter thought Cam was perhaps getting ready for another run of "Cam-as-Thunder-counselor".  
  
Hunter hadn't even gotten out the door to the living quarters when Cam arrived in Ninja Ops.  
  
"Dude, nothing's wrong," Hunter said, shaking his head at Cam's obvious overreaction. "You didn't have to drop everything."  
  
"'Nothing' doesn't have you annoying CyberCam." Cam put a hand on Hunter's shoulder. "What's wrong?"  
  
Hunter sighed. "Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to talk to you about... actually, can we talk in your room? CyberCam kinda has a big mouth and Blake could walk in at any second."  
  
Cam made a motion as if to roll his eyes. "Okay."  
  
They trooped to Cam's room. Cam closed the door behind him and crossing his arms. "All right, Hunter, for the love of all that's good, what's *wrong*?"  
  
Hunter watched Woz sheepishly, feeling like his cover story had so many holes that Cam would see through it instantly. "I told you, nothing's wrong. It's just that Blake's birthday's coming up and I wanted some help planning a surprise party. But it's not like I could tell you that with CyberCam right there 'cause he can't keep his mouth shut."  
  
"And you had to annoy CyberCam because...." Cam asked, arms steadily crossed.  
  
Hunter shifted from foot to foot. Cam would either believe him, or he wouldn't. "OK, I had to talk to somebody or *I* was going to spill the beans."  
  
"And the rest of the team isn't good at keeping a secret." Cam fussed with his bed covers. "I know. But what do you want me to do about it?"  
  
Hunter tried to keep the grin off his face-- like he cared whether or not Cam's bed was made. "Keep Blake occupied while I set things up?"  
  
Cam finished improving the condition of his room and leaned against the wall. "All right. When?"  
  
Hunter told him.  
  
Cam eyed Hunter suspiciously. "Isn't Blake's birthday two weeks later?"  
  
"Yeah, but he'd be expecting it then - I want to surprise him early. Wouldn't be the first time." Hunter shrugged  
  
"That you surprised him early or that you surprised him?" Cam frowned. "And how'd you pick *that* day?"  
  
"It's the Saturday a week and a half prior to his birthday. Any sooner and he'll guess." Hunter shrugged at that, as if it were a minor thing. Or him being him. He just hoped Cam bought it.  
  
To his surprise, Cam nodded. "That's a pretty well reasoned decision."  
  
"Does that not work for you?" Hunter asked. He wanted to give Cam an opening to bring up his birthday. It would mean finding another way to keep Cam occupied, but...  
  
"I did have other things... but I can keep Blake occupied," Cam said, not taking the opportunity to confess. Hunter inwardly catalogued Cam's inability to take a day off without Sensei force-teleporting him out of Ops. "Don't worry, Hunter. I'll think of something."  
  
Hunter put a hand on Cam's shoulder. "Thanks, bro, I owe you one."  
  
"You certainly do." Cam hesitated, as if unsure whether or not to take Hunter to task for calling him "bro". "Now, is there anything else, or can I get back to LionZord?"  
  
"I'm sorry I freaked you out." Hunter withdrew and stared at the floor.  
  
"It's okay, Hunter." Cam squeezed Hunter's shoulder briefly. "Just tell me what needs to be done, and I'll do it. I'll keep Blake occupied."  
  
Hunter smiled weakly. "Thanks, bro. Maybe you'd better go take care of LionZord before Dustin needs it."  
  
Cam narrowed his eyes. "Yes. If you guys would stop trashing your Zords..."  
  
"Take it up with your Uncle, dude!" Hunter exclaimed, reminding Cam of the connection. As if Cam needed the reminder.  
  
The corner of Cam's mouth quirked up in a small, bitter grin. "I will."  
  
Cam left, heading back to the zord bay. Hunter watched him leave, then headed back to his room.  
  
* * *  
  
"So, how'd he take it?" Shane wanted to know during lunch period the next day.  
  
"Surprisingly well considering I scared him half to death." Hunter glanced at his shoes, still upset with himself for freaking Cam out. He picked up two cartons of skim milk, eyeing the fruit selections suspiciously. He was going to have to go back to brown bagging it, he could tell.  
  
"What happened?" Shane asked, arching an eyebrow up as the line continued. He also took two cartons of milk-- one skim, one chocolate.  
  
"He agreed." Hunter lowered his voice, leaning towards Shane. "The thing was I was hanging out in Ninja Ops waiting for Cam to finish fixing LionZord, and I was driving CyberCam nuts. So when I told Cam I wanted to talk to him... well, he thought something was wrong."  
  
"You do have a tendency to brood a lot, bro," Blake said as they joined the others in a quest for a table.  
  
"I'm not *that* bad!" Hunter exclaimed, examining his food. The last thing he needed was Cam getting upset over his diet again.  
  
"Yes, you are," Shane teased, sitting down. The rest followed.  
  
"Anyway," Hunter continued, "I'm probably going to have to reassure Cam I'm really all right, but he has taken the bait, and will be keeping an eye on Blake on his birthday."  
  
"How sneaky are we going to get about this?" Tori asked, starting on some green beans.  
  
"We just have to keep Cam out of the way until Trini comes, and not mention knowing anything about his birthday or Trini coming." Hunter opened a milk carton, sniffing it experimentally. "Simple. Trini's probably doing some things on her end too, so he's not so suspicious."  
  
"Just as long as he doesn't try to call her, dude." Dustin poked carefully at his Jell-o, clearly questioning his dessert choice.  
  
"I'll mention that to her." Hunter jotted a reminder into his assignment notebook to e-mail Trini about that. She'd probably have to fake an exam or something.  
  
Dustin put down his fork and grinned brightly at the group. "Dude, we're like, 007."  
  
"It's a surprise party, not an espionage mission." Hunter rolled his eyes. "And at least this'll keep it simple. You guys pretend you're setting the party up at Tori's, I pick up Trini, and Cam distracts Blake. Or vice versa."  
  
Blake chuckled, then looked thoughtful. "One small problem, how do we explain Cam to Tori's folks? I mean, the age difference is wicked conspicuous."  
  
"Say that he's tutoring at our high school?" Dustin ventured, digging into his cornbread as if it was saving him from total starvation.  
  
"That'll only work until they've met him," Shane quipped. "I mean, Cam? Tutor. The dude has no patience."  
  
"This is Cam. He can think of something, and it'll keep him occupied," Hunter argued, knowing Cam would do exactly that.  
  
"Ooh, a plan!" Tori's whole face lit up with excitement. "Sure we can't just pass him off as you and Blake's big brother?"  
  
"That could work." Shane sipped his chocolate milk experimentally.  
  
Blake frowned. "He'll kill us."  
  
"Let me bring Cam in on the 'surprise party', see what he thinks." Hunter peeled his banana, then started to work on getting rid of the too-prevalent bad spots.  
  
"This is like, too weird." Dustin shook his head. "Cam knows there's a surprise party, but he thinks it's for Blake."  
  
"Exactly," Hunter grinned. "Can't have him catching on, can we?"  
  
"No, that we can't," Shane said.  
  
* * *  
  
The day of Cam's birthday, the younger Rangers, except Blake, of course, were gathering in Tori's backyard, setting up the picnic tables and hanging green balloons.  
  
"When's Trini supposed to be in?" Shane asked as he tied off a balloon.  
  
Hunter checked his watch. "About 20 minutes."  
  
"How's Blake distracting Cam?" Tori asked as she hung tablecloth weights to keep the green tablecloth on the table.  
  
Hunter shrugged. "Cam's teaching him to shoot arrows on that ancient video game system of his."  
  
"Shoot arrows?" Shane echoed, looking rather confused. "Know what, never mind, I don't want to know."  
  
Hunter shrugged again. "Neither do I. The important thing is that Cam's at Ops. All we have to do is make sure he takes Blake on his 'errand'."  
  
"You think he's going to forget to bring Blake to the surprise party?" Tori asked, arranging a table. "Come on, he wouldn't let Blake miss his own party. And it's not like Blake won't play along."  
  
"No, this is Cam," Hunter said, giving Tori a nod. "He'll make sure that Blake gets here. Don't worry."  
  
"Dude, you were the one who was worrying!" Dustin pointed out.  
  
Hunter rolled his eyes and used his cell phone to check on Trini's flight.  
  
"I'll just start for the airport now," Hunter said. "You guys just get ready."  
  
"Don't worry, bro, every thing's under control." Dustin clapped Hunter on the shoulder.  
  
"Just don't not recognize Trini," Tori teased as she mentally checked over the table arrangement.  
  
"I won't," Hunter promised.  
  
* * *  
  
Blake leaned back as the screen showed the pixelly crown on the equally pixelly mountain. "So, should we go now?" he asked, not wanting to seem too eager.  
  
"Go where?" Cam asked, an eyebrow beginning to lift.  
  
"Hunter's up to something, isn't he?" Blake asked, realizing his mistake. He had to pretend he just knew what his big bro was up to. Which he knew anyway.  
  
Cam sighed and shook his head, doing surprisingly well at pretending nothing was happening.  
  
"Suit yourself," Blake said, more than eager to change the subject. "How do you restart this thing again?"  
  
Cam hit the reset button calmly on the console, and the game's title screen flashed up on the television.  
  
"Thanks, bro," Blake said, settling in for another game. They needed to leave kinda soon, but he had to let Cam take the lead. If he was too hasty, Cam would wonder. He entered a red-colored mountain.  
  
Cam nodded. "Just don't forget that you're due at Tori's for that study session."  
  
Blake sighed, running about the 'rooms' on the screen and avoiding a blob. Cam was really getting into the supposed surprise birthday party. "Stupid exam. Maybe we'd better get going, I'd hate to be late. Dad always said never to keep a lady waiting." *Especially one who just took a transatlantic flight to see you on your birthday.*  
  
"You do have a little bit of time," Cam reminded him. "And that snake is about to get you."  
  
Blake tried to dodge, but the snake hit anyway, and his on-screen avatar turned into a puff of smoke, then re-formed at the beginning of the mountain. He sighed. "Maybe we should just go."  
  
"Blake, are you all right?" Cam asked, laying a hand on his little brother's shoulder, his face wrinkled with concern.  
  
Blake bolted to his feet and answered way too quickly. "Yeah, fine, I just suck at video games."  
  
"Right," Cam said, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Cam," Blake complained, shoving the Green Ranger affectionately, "I don't need my head shrunk right now."  
  
Cam sighed. Blake could tell that Cam was reminding himself that he should be nice. "OK, let's go."  
  
Blake nodded, managing to turn off Cam's game console. "Be right with you, bro. Gotta get my books."  
  
"Sure thing," Cam said, going to retrieve his car keys.  
  
Blake sighed inwardly. He hoped that Cam enjoyed his birthday.  
  
He grabbed his backpack, stuffed with Harry Potter books (and Cam's present) to make it look heavy. No way he was touching a text book today.  
  
"Ready?" Cam asked, back with his keys. He looked at Blake expectantly.  
  
"Yup," Blake said, trying to sound less than enthusiastic. It was hard.  
  
"I take it this is a real study session?" Cam asked, stance shifting. Either Cam was a *really* good actor, or he was worried about Blake and Tori getting together after the 'surprise party'.  
  
Blake narrowed his eyes. "As opposed to what?"  
  
"You. Tori. Do I have to draw you a diagram?" Cam sighed in frustration at Blake's obtuseness.  
  
"Cam," Blake said slowly, "It's a study session. For school. We're not doing the horizontal tango." He hated to be blunt. But if he was blunt he could change the subject.  
  
"I should hope not!" Cam said.  
  
"Then what were you asking?" Blake asked.  
  
"I was thinking more like smoochies."  
  
"No smoochies. Just study," Blake said firmly. "We need to beat Lothor and get you off to England if you have to live vicariously through a couple of seventeen year olds."  
  
"Okay," Cam said hesitantly as they reached the garage. It was clear he wasn't going to rise to the bait.  
  
"So, what are you doing while I'm off studying?" Blake asked casually, as they got to the car.  
  
"Oh, you know, the usual," Cam said evasively as he opened the door to the garage.  
  
"Repairing the Zords again, huh?" Blake asked, knowing what Cam would be doing instead of getting out. Maybe Hunter was right and Cam really needed to spend more time outside Ops. "Or reprogramming CyberCam."  
  
"Why would I want to reprogram CyberCam?" Cam asked as he unlocked the car doors.  
  
"You know, make him less irritating?" Blake said casually. "Bro, he thinks he's good at everything."  
  
"He's not that bad!" Cam said.  
  
"Yes, he is!" Blake exclaimed as he climbed into the car and got his backpack settled in the back seat.  
  
"Put your seat belt on," Cam commanded, fastening his own.  
  
"Right." Blake rolled his eyes. That was the next thing he was going to do. "Thanks for taking me over to Tori's, Cam."  
  
"No problem," Cam said, starting the car and fiddling with the radio.  
  
"Not the eighties station," Blake begged. He couldn't take the Billy Idol kick they were on. There were only so many times one could listen to "Dancing with Myself".  
  
"Yes, the eighties station," Cam said mildly as he put the car into gear. "My car, my rules."  
  
Blake sighed, leaning against the window. Under normal circumstances he wouldn't have given Cam any static about the radio on his birthday. However, he usually gave Cam static about the radio and if he suddenly didn't, well Cam might figure things out.  
  
At least he only needed to keep that secret a little bit longer.  
  
* * *  
  
Dustin paced a little in Tori's backyard, trying not to run into anything while he was at it. "What's taking them so long, man?"  
  
"Blake and Cam or Hunter and Trini?" Shane asked, as he fixed a streamer. Good thing for After-St.-Patrick's-Day sales.  
  
"Hunter and Trini," Dustin said, stopping a minute to examine the streamers.  
  
"Customs in Silver Hills," Trini said as she and Hunter emerged from the back door. "I had to show them receipts for all my computer gear to prove I'd bought it here."  
  
"And apparently they decided to play hide and go seek with her luggage as revenge or something," Hunter said.  
  
"She's Cam's girlfriend all right," Shane muttered to Dustin, who nodded emphatically.  
  
"The y find it?" Tori asked.  
  
"Yeah, it's coming up on the next flight and being delivered to my hotel," Trini replied.  
  
"Cam on schedule?" Hunter asked as he sat at one of the picnic tables, contemplating the soda selection. He hadn't been able to use his morpher, and he'd forgotten to charge his cell phone, so it ran down half way to the airport.  
  
Dustin scratched his nose. "Blake called just before they left. They should be here in five, bro."  
  
"Thanks, Dustin." Hunter said, choosing a bottle of root beer.  
  
Trini coughed.  
  
Hunter blushed. "Sorry, Trini, these are Dustin, Shane, and Tori. They're friends of Blake's and mine. And if you're thirsty, feel free to help yourself."  
  
"Pleased to meet all of you," Trini said. "Are you all Cam's friends too?" She looked appraisingly at their outfits.  
  
"Yeah," Dustin said openly. "Cam's, like, great."  
  
Shane, Tori, and Hunter exchanged glances. How were they going to explain this?  
  
"Cam's dad's our Sensei," Tori said, breaking the silence, "Or was."  
  
"He's still our Sensei," Dustin said. "No matter if he...."  
  
"Dude, she knows about Sensei's illness," Shane said, covering. "We're hoping he can get back to work soon."  
  
Trini nodded, still looking them over appraisingly. It was giving Hunter the creeps. "So, how did you guys get to be friends?" she asked.  
  
"Long, hard work," Shane responded without thinking.  
  
Trini arched an eyebrow.  
  
"Getting Cam to do more than put up with us after his Dad took us in," Hunter said. "He can be pretty distant... well, you know that."  
  
"Hey, at least you live there and can get him to open up," Shane complained.  
  
"Point taken," Hunter said.  
  
Trini started laughing. "Same old Cam. Let me guess, before you and Blake moved in he was sitting in his room coding all day?"  
  
"Pretty much," Hunter said, shrugging. "Now he plays video games with us, at least. I think his Dad's kind of happy we moved in."  
  
"Video games on his Powerbook or the Intellivision?" Trini asked, pouring herself a soda.  
  
"Intellivision," Hunter said. "He doesn't trust us much on the PowerBook."  
  
Trini smiled broadly at that. "He's still calling that thing his baby, isn't he?"  
  
Hunter nodded rapidly, remembering the last time he'd tried to use Cam's laptop. "We don't touch it."  
  
"Dude, you even *try* and he like, gives you the stink eye," Dustin said, reaching for the bottle of Sprite.  
  
"Yeah," Shane added, smirking with the memory. "We crashed something that *wasn't* his baby, once, and I thought he'd make us wash the hall on our hands and knees!"  
  
"Oh, dear." Trini frowned, shaking her head. "We've been apart too long."  
  
"You've got that right dude, er, Trini," Dustin said.  
  
Hunter's morpher bleeped. At that moment, a car pulled up in the driveway.  
  
"Thanks for the warning, Blake," Hunter muttered, trying not to roll his eyes or look too obtrusive about the morpher. "Here they come. You want to hide or just sit here?"  
  
"Why don't you go into my room, Trini," Tori said, indicating the back door. "It's inside, and to the left. Someone will bring you out."  
  
"All right." Trini picked up her soda, grinning widely. Hunter couldn't help but smile at her expression. "Better not leave this in sight. It'd be pretty obvious this wasn't your lipstick."  
  
"Lipstick?" Tori asked, raising an eyebrow. " I don't wear make up."  
  
"Exactly." Trini indicated the lipstick smear on her glass. Tori blushed inexplicably.  
  
"Good idea," Hunter said, nodding towards the door, silently urging her to get out of sight.  
  
Trini picked up the cup and headed inside. The others only hoped she'd get inside Tori's room before Blake and Cam got in. If she didn't... well, their teammate wasn't going to take the deception kindly.  
  
They could hear the door to Tori's room close. Then the doorbell rang.  
  
"Whew." Hunter breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
Tori went to answer the door. The others could hear Blake's voice from down the hallway.  
  
A few minutes later, or so it seemed, though it really couldn't be more than a minute, they could see Tori, with Blake and a reluctant looking Cam in tow heading from the front door to the back one.  
  
As the three emerged, Cam blinked at all the green. And the decorations. And the suspiciously shaped objects hidden under *green* cloths. He glanced at Blake, knowing that any celebration for him should be decorated in navy.  
  
"Happy Birthday, Cam," Tori said, smiling widely at her teammate.  
  
"How'd you know?" Cam asked, crossing his arms in consternation. "I made Dad promise not to tell. The little rodent."  
  
"He didn't tell us." Hunter grimaced at the thought of Sensei taking the "rap" for the party. "Tori, maybe you should go get Cam's other surprise?"  
  
"Right," Tori said, brushing past Cam and going back into her house.  
  
"Other surprise?" Cam wondered, examining his teammates in confusion. "What on Earth are you guys up to?" Cam was starting to wish he'd said something about his birthday so that he could've made the others promise not to make a big deal out of it.  
  
"We're not the ones up to something," Hunter said, crossing his arms. "Why do you think we're always up to something?"  
  
"We just helped," Blake added hurriedly.  
  
"I asked them to," Trini said, coming out of the house. Cam, having been glaring at his teammates, turned around.  
  
"Trini!" Cam ran up to the door and wrapped his girlfriend into his arms, kissing her tenderly, then pulling away before he was tempted to do more. "We'll have to continue this when we don't have an impressionable teenage audience," he whispered. "I missed you."  
  
"I missed you too," Trini whispered into his hair. "That's why I came."  
  
Cam just hugged her again, too overcome to speak.  
  
Several morphers went off, some quite insistently. Cam hugged Trini close, not wanting to go. "Um... 'scuse me," Dustin said, heading inside.  
  
"What's with everyone's beepers?" Trini asked.  
  
Cam shrugged, moving so that he was just holding Trini's hand. "I think they're rigged for harmony," he joked.  
  
"Bat signal," Dustin said, poking his head out the door.  
  
"Right," Shane said. "Excuse us, Cam, Trini. We'll be back."  
  
"But..." Cam started.  
  
"Relax, bro, have some chips," Hunter clapped Cam on the shoulder. "We'll be back as soon as we can. Stay here."  
  
"Just wait for us on the cake, OK?" Blake added, doing likewise and entering the house.  
  
Cam bit his lip as the others disappeared into the house on their way to tackle the newest monster. He guessed they'd call if he were needed.  
  
"What was that all about?" Trini asked, looking in the departed teens' direction.  
  
Cam could only hope she wasn't *too* curious, or his teammates could be in pretty big trouble. He shrugged. "Teenage stuff. They do that now and then."  
  
"Do they always wear those colors?" Trini asked, still staring at the door.  
  
"Not always," Cam said casually. He could see the gears in his girlfriend's head turning. He just wasn't sure what had started that.  
  
"Hmm. Interesting," Trini said in a manner that indicated she wasn't sure she trusted Cam to notice.  
  
"How's England?" Cam asked wistfully, leading Trini to a table, and away from the subject of his friends.  
  
"How long do you think they'll be gone?" Trini asked, putting an arm around Cam's neck.  
  
"I don't know. They're teenagers - they don't always make sense." Cam said, knowing that in this case, they did make sense, but he couldn't share that with Trini. "Hopefully a few minutes." Cam only hoped they didn't need him or his zord.  
  
Trini still looked thoughtful, but took his hand. "England's great. The people-- the places-- there's so much history. I only wish I could share it with you."  
  
Cam caressed her hair, luxuriating in the feel of it. "Me too."  
  
"Cam," Trini said patiently, "you have your duty to your father. I won't take you away from that... much as I'd like to."  
  
"The moment he's better..." Cam said, pushing his forehead against hers.  
  
"I'll be waiting," Trini whispered, gazing into his eyes.  
  
Cam grinned, and selfishly hoped that his teammates could handle the battle without him. "I know."  
  
He kissed her softly. Trini responded. For long moments, the only thing that the two of them could think of was each other. No sudden beep interrupted them.  
  
Someone clearing their throat, however...  
  
Cam pulled away sheepishly, studying his teammates. They looked none the worse for wear, if a little tired. And maybe a little shell shocked that he knew how to kiss...  
  
"Wondered what it would take to get your attention," Hunter said, looking a little bit uncomfortable, as if discovering his parents had a sex life.  
  
Cam shrugged. "What kept you?" He hoped his teammates would recognize his attempt to cover for them. Or something of the sort.  
  
"Kelly had to find some stuff and..." Dustin started, trailing off.  
  
"You're very hard to shop for," Shane said. "We were waiting for something to arrive at Storm Chargers."  
  
Trini gave Shane an odd look. Cam was inwardly crossing his fingers that the Rangers wouldn't say anything *stupid*. Or at least not stupider than usual.  
  
Shane just shrugged.  
  
Hunter started looking around in confusion. "Where's the cake?"  
  
"Under here," Tori said, picking up a green cake cover that she'd put out after Hunter had gone to pick up Trini.  
  
"So, let's eat," Hunter said eagerly.  
  
Cam spared a chuckle. It was good to see Hunter hungry without seeming pitiful every now and then.  
  
"Wait," Tori said, diving into a bag sitting next to the cake. "The candles wouldn't fit under the cover."  
  
"I hope you don't have a candle in there for every year," Trini teased, squeezing Cam's hand. "It'd be a forest fire."  
  
"Nah, just a big one," Dustin said reassuringly.  
  
"Two, actually," Tori said. She pulled out a candle shaped like Harry Potter, and a second one shaped like a computer.  
  
"You're not going to actually light Harry, are you?" Cam asked, clearly mortified at the thought.  
  
"No, just the computer one," Tori said reassuringly, taking out the box of kitchen matches.  
  
Trini just smiled at Cam's relief.  
  
"What?" Cam asked her.  
  
"Let's just say I picked the right present," she said.  
  
"So, birthday boy, cake or presents?" Shane asked, indicating the cake and a green-shrouded pile of squarish things.  
  
"Cake then presents," Cam said, knowing that he needed the food for his metabolism.  
  
Tori grinned and lit the candle. "Make a wish."  
  
Cam looked at Trini and took a deep breath. He wanted to get it out in one blow. He knew exactly what he was wishing for.  
  
"Hey, don't we have to sing first?" Dustin asked, interrupting him.  
  
"You ever heard Hunter sing?" Blake replied, incredulously  
  
"I can sing!" Hunter protested.  
  
"Like Sailor Kosh," Blake reminded him.  
  
Hunter sighed, shaking his head at his little brother.  
  
"Sailor Kosh?" Trini asked, nose crinkling in confusion.  
  
Cam thought fast. "Bad fanfic I found on the internet. Complete with MP3. Blake walked in with a question when I was playing it. You don't want to be subjected to it, trust me."  
  
Blake shuddered. "You really don't."  
  
Dustin grinned mischievously. "Why don't we make Shane sing?"  
  
Cam blew out the candle before the discussion turned into an argument.  
  
"Hey!" Dustin protested being deprived of his fun.  
  
"I have this aversion to eating wax." Cam shrugged and indicated the drip forming on top of the candle.  
  
"It *is* his birthday," Tori reminded the others.  
  
"My guy just doesn't like lots of spectacle." Trini patted Cam's leg.  
  
"Yeah, we know," Hunter said, trying not to do any eye rolling. "He was preparing to *code* all day."  
  
"Hey, Blake was doing well with the Winged Dragons," Cam protested. "He even won! Mind you, it was on the easy level, but...."  
  
"And if Trini hadn't called, so we hadn't tricked you into thinking you were distracting Blake?" Tori said, handing Cam a knife and the plates.  
  
"I'd still have taught him how to play," Cam said stubbornly. "The game was collecting dust."  
  
"Uh-huh," Hunter said, not believing a word of it. "Right. You'd just have coded and... coded your entire birthday away."  
  
Blake took a plate, glaring at Cam. "Cam, you were halfway into the guts of the mainframe when I reminded you that I was supposed to study with Tori. I was ready to bring in C.C. to get you out of there. No way would you have been spending an hour teaching me to shoot black squiggly things, red squiggly things, blue squiggly things...."  
  
"I get the picture," Cam interrupted, not appreciating Blake making fun of his favorite game.  
  
Trini chuckled. "These kids today can't appreciate old 80's games."  
  
"I like Pac Man," Tori said, trying to diffuse the situation as she accepted a piece of cake from Cam.  
  
"Pac Man's a classic," Cam acknowledged, "but you don't truly appreciate 80's games until you've played Utopia."  
  
"I've played it," Hunter said. "I'll take Black and White, thank you very much."  
  
"I always knew you had a god complex, Hunter," Cam quipped, referring to the game's concept.  
  
"Just hand me a piece of cake," Hunter said, reaching out a hand impatiently. "Don't want me to faint, do you?"  
  
Cam pulled the plate with the cake away. "What's the magic word?"  
  
"Accio," Hunter joked.  
  
Cam glared at the joke.  
  
"Can I please have a piece of cake, bro?" Hunter asked, holding out his hand.  
  
Cam sighed, shook his had, and gave Hunter his cake. "I swear, you all act like you're about six."  
  
Hunter glared at his older brother.  
  
Tori giggled, blushing. "Sometimes we do."  
  
Trini laughed. "They're good for you, Cam. They'll keep you young."  
  
"He showed up for the Harry Potter party on his own," Dustin pointed out.  
  
"I had to get it the first day," Cam said emphatically, "Trini all ready had an eight hour head start!"  
  
"I only read for one of those!" Trini said. "I got home at 1 and I had to go to sleep at two."  
  
Several of the Rangers nodded as they ate the cake.  
  
"Smarter than Tori," Blake teased, wrapping an arm around his girlfriend.  
  
"I wasn't up *that* late," Tori protested, making a face at Blake.  
  
"I thought you said it was four," Dustin teased.  
  
"So, Trini, have you ever gone looking for Platform 9 and 3/4 at King's Cross?" Shane asked, to get away from that discussion.  
  
Trini nodded. "Actually, they have a sign for it outside the national rail station. You can't get through the wall though." She scraped frosting off of her plate with the edge of her fork. "People must try a lot-- I went with some friends and we were all pushing at the wall. There was a news seller right in front of it, he didn't bat an eyelash."  
  
"Yeah, I guess the Harry Potter phenomenon is really a big thing," Shane said with a shrug. "It sounds really cool, though. Cam will have to take pictures for us when he gets over there."  
  
"When Dad's better," Cam said firmly, though he shot Shane a grateful look. Nothing better to reaffirm the idea that he would join Trini in England than his friends talking like that.  
  
"That's what I meant, of course." Shane stared at his plate, as if ashamed that he might've implied anything different.  
  
"We know you won't abandon your Dad, dude," Blake added, patting Cam's shoulder.  
  
"Good," Cam said, nodding.  
  
"This is good cake," Trini said, clearly anxious to change the subject.  
  
"Thanks," Dustin said, blushing a little. He looked at the cake as if it might rise up and walk away.  
  
"You made this?" Cam asked, suddenly understanding why Dustin was blushing. He was impressed; Dustin was the *last* person he thought would know how to cook. Maybe it was part of the Earth ninja personality.  
  
"Dude, we don't all need your baking lessons," Hunter told Cam, smirking.  
  
"Like, I had to take Home Ec in Junior High," Dustin said. He was still blushing and looking down at the cake.  
  
"You, taking Home Ec?" Hunter asked, focusing on Dustin.  
  
"It was required dude!" Dustin exclaimed, though he looked like he wanted to disappear off the face of the earth.  
  
"Hey, everyone needs to know how to cook," Shane smirked.  
  
Tori recognized the reference and smacked Shane's shoulder. "Trini's taken," she hissed.  
  
"Not that these two ever learned," Cam said, motioning vaguely at Blake and Hunter.  
  
Hunter rolled his eyes and wiped his mouth with a napkin.  
  
"We're learning now, dude." Blake glared at Cam, as if daring him to contradict their attempts at cooking.  
  
"Can you manage to go five minutes without saying 'Dude'?" Cam shoved Blake affectionately.  
  
"Nope." Blake shoved Cam's hand away. "And it's all Dustin's fault."  
  
"My fault?" Dustin pointed at his chest. "Why is it my fault?"  
  
"We thought we were bad about it, dude, until we met you." Hunter poked Dustin in the ribs. "And then we started using it more."  
  
Dustin shrugged unapologetically.  
  
Tori grinned. "So, how about we get back to this party?"  
  
"What, ragging on Dustin isn't a party?" Cam asked, putting his empty plate down and grinning.  
  
"I think Tori was talking about the presents, d...." Shane stopped the last word in mid sound.  
  
Tori grinned and ribbed Blake. "Well, after what we had to go through to get Cam here...."  
  
Blake turned red and muttered something about bait.  
  
"And you were very admirable bait at that," Cam grinned. He wasn't upset at the deception, and he had to admit that Blake's acting was really good.  
  
"Your little brothers did come up with a very good plan," Trini said, smiling at Blake and Hunter, though the words "little brothers" were rather pointed.  
  
Cam winced. "Sorry I didn't mention that. I wasn't sure how to bring it up-- or explain it, really. Whose idea was your visit anyway?"  
  
"She called us." Hunter picked up a present wrapped in turquoise wrapping paper with gray dolphins on it and handed it to Cam.  
  
"I knew that you'd be out," Trini added, as Cam concentrated on his first present.  
  
He finally found the card and opened it.  
  
He read the card silently, a grin blooming on his face. "Thanks, Tori."  
  
"You're welcome," Tori said, blushing.  
  
Cam opened the gift. Cam looked at the box. Then looked at Tori. "Acne wash?"  
  
The other Rangers chuckled at his expression, though they knew that it would be hard to explain the meaning of the acne wash without explaining Cam's position as a Ranger *or* the love spell.  
  
"Open the box," Tori grinned.  
  
Cam looked at her skeptically, and did as he was told. He found himself smiling at the contents. "Ooh, candles."  
  
Trini smiled at Cam meaningfully. "We'll have to put those to good use."  
  
"Over dinner," Cam nodded, eyes flicking pointedly to the fact that Blake and Tori were holding hands.  
  
"Over dinner," Trini repeated, squeezing his hand assuringly. Then, as an afterthought, added, "Can I ask about the acne wash box?"  
  
"You don't want to know," Cam replied, squeezing her hand back, but avoiding her eyes.  
  
"You *really* don't want to know," Blake muttered.  
  
Hunter shoved his little brother, glaring.  
  
Cam picked up the next box. It was wrapped in yellow and felt rather light. He opened the card and read it, smiling. "Thanks, Dustin." He unwrapped the gift. "A Kermit the frog key chain!"  
  
"Well, you needed a new one, dude." Dustin shrugged, blushing for the second time in several minutes.  
  
The next one was rather heavy and wrapped in red paper. Cam studied the paper against the other present wrapped in red, gave up, and opened the card. "Thanks Shane." He tore open the paper. "The Mac is not a Typewriter! Cool, I've been thinking about getting this book."  
  
Shane muttered something that sounded like "Amazon wish list." Cam swore he heard a giggle coming out of one of the others.  
  
Tori grinned at him. Hunter handed him the other red box, a darker red than the first. It was quite large. And somewhat heavy.  
  
Cam took it, arms going down from the unexpected weight. He opened the card, though the color of the wrapping gave the person who had wrapped it away. "Thanks, Hunter." He opened it, and both his eyebrows went up. "A motocross helmet?"  
  
"We thought you might be tired of borrowing them for your lessons," Hunter said, shrugging.  
  
Trini's eyes widened at that. "You're taking motocross lessons, sweetie?"  
  
"I kind of got roped into them," Cam said, mock-glaring at Hunter and Blake.  
  
Hunter shrugged. "Bradleys have to know how to motocross."  
  
Cam rolled his eyes and reached for the next present.  
  
"Bradleys?" Trini echoed.  
  
"It's no point in arguing with him, " Cam said. "I've even tried showing him my drivers' license." He turned his attention back to the presents. Blake's was also rather heavy. Cam looked at him. "Let me guess, body armor?"  
  
Blake grinned, "Open it dude."  
  
Cam opened it to find another book. "Building Cocoa Applications?" he asked.  
  
"Thought you'd like it, dude," Blake said, scuffing his feet.  
  
Cam flipped through it. "It looks pretty useful, actually. Thanks, Blake."  
  
Cam picked up the last present, a moderately weighted, rectangular package wrapped in yellow. He opened the card and read it quietly. He was grateful for his dark complexion-- he didn't want any of his teammates asking him why he was blushing. "Thanks, honey." He kissed her lightly on the lips, then opened the present. "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone." A wide grin spread over Cam's face. "I really appreciate it." He kissed her chastely on the lips.  
  
"No problem," Trini said gracefully as they separated.  
  
"I vote we eat," Dustin said, seeing that the presents were over.  
  
"You all ready had cake, you pig." Tori swatted Dustin with a clean paper plate.  
  
"Hey, I'm still hungry!" Dustin whined. "And I'm still growing!"  
  
"He's been running around all day," Cam said, knowing Dustin's Ranger metabolism was kicking in, "what do you expect? Help yourself, Dustin, there's only tons of food."  
  
"Thanks, dude," Dustin said gratefully. He grabbed another plateful, ignoring everybody else present.  
  
"Dustin the bottomless stomach," Shane teased.  
  
"You have your moments too, dude," Blake pointed out. "Didn't I see you eating three hot dogs at the skate park the other day?"  
  
"Guys, chill out," Cam said, not wanting his birthday party to become heated.  
  
"We're chilled, bro," Shane said, holding his hands out in a placating gesture.  
  
"But not frozen," Hunter added, sipping at a root beer.  
  
Tori smacked her forehead. "We forgot the ice cream!"  
  
"We didn't get any," Blake said, matter of factly. "We got everything put out."  
  
"Exactly," Tori said, burying her face in her arms. "We forgot the ice cream!"  
  
Cam made a face.  
  
"Oh," Tori said, realizing.  
  
Dustin frowned, putting down his fork. "Oh, boy, Cam's going to be a grouch until he gets his butterscotch ice cream."  
  
Cam looked at Dustin strangely. "What makes you say that?"  
  
Trini started giggling. "Cam? Ice cream? The only thing frozen and sweet I've ever seen him eat are those tofu things."  
  
"Tofuttis," Cam corrected absently, releasing Trini's hand and putting an arm around her.  
  
"Those ice cream bars," Hunter said. "The ones he *eats* all the time at Ops."  
  
"We should have gotten some of those," Shane said. "I saw them at the store yesterday."  
  
"Hey, they make other flavors too," Cam said defensively, as if he was tired of arguing the point. "The Cuties are just a perfect size."  
  
"You just hate scooping anything," Trini said, batting her eyelashes at him.  
  
"That's just too much work," Cam agreed. He gripped her hand slightly tighter, and sincerely wished they didn't have an audience.  
  
"This from a guy who designs computers," Shane said, sipping at his Coke.  
  
"I like working for programs, not for my desserts." Cam shrugged. "I like it that way."  
  
"He's gotta stop working so hard," Tori commented to Trini. "We have to keep telling him to take breaks."  
  
Trini chuckled. "He's practicing for graduate school."  
  
"They make you work *that* hard?" Dustin asked.  
  
Trini grinned. "Like a house elf."  
  
Several heads nodded.  
  
"I hope you get paid better than the Harry Potter creatures." Hunter's face was so sympathetic that Cam reached over and squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.  
  
"Only slightly," Trini joked.  
  
"Dude, that's it, I'm stopping after college," Dustin said. "If I go to college."  
  
"My parents say I'm going to college, no questions asked," Tori said.  
  
"Tori, you get straight A's," Dustin pointed out. "You're a shoo in to get it."  
  
"Hey, you're not doing *that* badly," Tori said. "Neither is Shane. Of course, you guys have to...."  
  
"Remember to do our homework," the other two chorused.  
  
"You might want to do that before Sensei gets wind it's not getting done." Hunter sat next to Blake, clearly still a little shaken by the surfacing memories of his and Blake's time of trying to live on their stock boys' pay at Storm Chargers.  
  
Cam glared at him. "Yeah, substitute teacher at the dojo or not, Dad would be pretty upset if his students weren't fulfilling their other responsibilities."  
  
"We get it, we get it," Shane said, holding out his hands, palms away from him. "Don't tell your dad. "  
  
"I've told you guys, not everything you tell me gets back to my Dad," Cam said, trying to keep everything calm.  
  
"You refuse to promise not to tell him anything," Hunter pointed out.  
  
"Well, if one of you ends up in really big trouble and needs help I'll tell him, your parents, and whoever else it takes to get you help," Cam said.  
  
"Including superintendents," Blake muttered.  
  
Shane raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't say anything.  
  
Blake looked abashed. Trini didn't need to hear the story about how Cam and the rest of the team had come and forcibly moved him and Hunter into Ninja Ops.  
  
"Anyway," Tori said, trying to distract their guest before anybody mentioned the wrong thing in non-Ranger company, "Trini, got any stories about the guest of honor?"  
  
Trini bit her lip. She could think of several-- but she wanted something that wouldn't have Cam upset with her. Not when she was only in for a couple days.  
  
"How about when we helped move that friend of Hayley's out of his apartment after he finished his Ph.D.?" Cam asked.  
  
Trini snickered. "There's not much to tell-- you spent a good part of the time geeking out with Hayley about all that computer equipment she got him."  
  
"Who's Hayley?" Shane asked curiously.  
  
"Another friend from M.I.T.," Cam said. "She was also a computer major, but she met this paleontology prodigy grad student..."  
  
"And he's my friend too," Trini chimed in, nudging her boyfriend gently.  
  
Cam grinned at that. He was aware he had the world's silliest grin on his face. "I'd forgotten."  
  
Trini raised an eyebrow at that. "I'm surprised, given that grilling you got."  
  
"Trini, he's a good paleontologist, but he's hopeless with technology," Cam said, exasperated. He wasn't going to go into the *other* grilling he'd gotten when he'd met the other man.  
  
Trini rolled her eyes. "I wasn't referring to the computer grilling."  
  
Cam looked at his cake for a moment. "Can we lay off the embarrassing stories? Please?"  
  
"Okay, tell a *cute* story," Tori said, after a moment of consideration. She hadn't meant to hear something that had embarrassed Cam, but she did want to know him better.  
  
Trini pondered that, leaning against Cam's shoulder. Cam put an arm around her.  
  
"Why don't we tell her a few stories... carefully edited, of course." Shane cleared away the wrapping paper.  
  
"Edited for what?" Trini asked, gazing up at her boyfriend.  
  
"Stuff Cam would kill us over." Blake glared at Shane. Why didn't he just wear a "we have a secret" t-shirt while he was at it?  
  
"Would I do that?" Cam batted his eyes at his youngest brother teasingly.  
  
"Yes," the other five chorused.  
  
"Dude, you like, were majorly pissed off when Shane decided to practice skateboarding," Dustin said. "I thought you were going to, like, throw him out!"  
  
"He was inside the room with all the computer equipment!" Cam pointed out. "Blue Bay Harbor has a perfectly good skate park. What's wrong with that?"  
  
"Hey, you were the one that needed us to be there," Shane said. "Is it my fault you left us standing around with nothing to do?"  
  
"You should have left your skateboard outside," Cam retorted. "Or is it physically attached to you?"  
  
Trini looked at Hunter. "You sure he's only picked up two little brothers?"  
  
"Not really," Hunter said, grinning.  
  
Cam sighed. Sometimes it did feel like he'd adopted more than Hunter and Blake when he'd become a Ranger. "Oh, boy."  
  
"Hey, I'm not that bad!" Shane exclaimed, tossing a piece of ribbon at Hunter. Hunter caught it and started tying knots in it.  
  
Cam decided a little perspective was in order. "Would Porter agree with that assessment?"  
  
"Relax, sweetie, he's just teasing." Trini kissed Cam's cheek.  
  
"More cake?" Tori asked.  
  
* * *  
  
"Morning, Sensei." Hunter hopped off his bar stool in order to get down the bag of guinea pig chow the next morning. He hadn't seen Cam since the elder Ranger had taken off with Trini after the birthday party.  
  
"Good morning, Hunter, Blake," Sensei said calmly. "Do you know where Cam is?"  
  
"Probably still with Trini," Hunter shrugged. "Or back with Trini. One of those."  
  
"Ah. He did not return home last night," Sensei told them. "This is most unusual for him."  
  
"Trini's in town," Blake repeated. He tried to wrap his mind around Cam and Trini... Cam and Trini... doing what they were probably doing last night.  
  
"Yes," Sensei observed as he started in on the chow. "Perhaps he will be out all day."  
  
"Or in all day," Hunter muttered, concentrating on his breakfast.  
  
Blake gently smacked him upside the head. "That was so not what I needed to think about, bro."  
  
"Boys, please," Sensei said, and his voice caused the two of them to look over at Sensei.  
  
"Sorry, Sensei," the Thunders chorused, bowing slightly.  
  
"Sensei," Blake added, "Do you think...." He didn't really want to ask, but he felt he had to. It was like watching a train wreck.  
  
"I try not to think, Blake," Sensei replied, his manner indicating he didn't want to discuss the topic further. "It is easier that way."  
  
Blake nodded. He didn't blame Sensei for that. He didn't want to think about it either.  
  
"How is that English paper coming, Blake?" Sensei asked as Hunter took the bag of Guinea Pig chow and put it away, effectively changing the subject.  
  
"It's pretty much done, Sensei," Blake answered obediently.  
  
"Very good," Sensei said, wiping his face with a napkin.  
  
* * *  
  
"You know," Hunter said later on, "I pretty much envy Cam."  
  
"Why?" Blake asked. He was fiddling with the remote control to the tv and the DVD player, unable to settle on a channel.  
  
"He's getting some," Hunter said casually, lying down on the couch, watching his brother idly.  
  
Blake made a face at that.  
  
"Dude." Hunter snickered at Blake's expression. "Cam and Trini have been dating for what? Four years. You really think they were playing parcheesi last night?"  
  
"No," Blake mumbled, scrubbing his face over his hands.  
  
"So what's your problem?" Hunter crossed his arms, not liking any of the current offerings enough to try to curb Blake's channel surfing.  
  
"Maybe he thinks you're being crude." Cam's stern voice caused Hunter to jump.  
  
Hunter turned to find Cam leaning in the doorway to the rec room. Arms crossed, a frown aimed in Hunters direction.  
  
"Trini get on the bus to Reefside OK?" Hunter asked.  
  
"Yes," Cam said patiently, while continuing to glare at Hunter.  
  
"Sorry she couldn't stay too long, bro," Hunter said, ignoring Cam's glare.  
  
Some of the tension in Cam's form seemed to fade. "She'll be back, sometime," he said.  
  
"Or we'll zap your Uncle and you can meet her in England," Blake told him, idling from his channel surfing.  
  
"And in the meantime..." Hunter started, but Blake covered his mouth, knowing that Hunter would get himself in trouble. The last thing the duo needed was another meal plan. Or a zord redesign or two.  
  
"In the meantime, what?" Cam asked, his voice betraying the words. The tension that had flowed away before was back.  
  
Hunter tried to jerk away from Blake.  
  
"Don't say it," Blake warned.  
  
"I got this, Blake," Cam said, gently prying the Thunders apart.  
  
"And in the meantime you two got some quality lovin' in." Hunter waggled his eyebrows.  
  
Cam grinned. "That's it." He grabbed Hunter, tickling him mercilessly.  
  
Blake tried not to grin. Failed. Started laughing.  
  
Hunter was laughing hysterically under Cam's assault. "Glad... you're amused... bro," he gasped.  
  
"Hey, I'm the one who knew better than to do what you did," Blake said, shrugging. He changed the channel on the TV.  
  
Hunter glared, trying to pull away from Cam, and not succeeding.  
  
"No more jokes about my sex life, right?" Cam asked, continuing to tickle the taller Bradley.  
  
"Right," Hunter gasped. "Have mercy!"  
  
"Good," Cam said, letting up at last. He let go of Hunter and stepped back, still grinning mercilessly.  
  
Hunter just stared. It was as if he'd never seen Cam before. Or never really *looked* at Cam before.  
  
"What?" Cam asked, eyeing Hunter as if he were debating tickling him again.  
  
"You've really got this big brother thing down." Hunter told the floor.  
  
"I learn fast." Cam mussed Hunter's hair affectionately.  
  
Hunter glared at his older brother.  
  
"You sure do," Blake said, finally pausing long enough to see what was on the Cartoon Network.  
  
Cam just stood there, grinning.  
  
"Have a good visit?" Blake turned around to face Cam.  
  
"The best." A grin spread over Cam's face.  
  
"Good birthday?" Hunter added. It seemed a safe enough thing to say.  
  
"Yeah," Cam said, still grinning. "I know you two helped Trini orchestrate all that. Thank you."  
  
"No problem," Blake told him.  
  
"Anytime, bro," Hunter added. "You know that we wouldn't have said no. It was good to meet the mysterious Trini, too."  
  
Cam just smiled again.  
  
"So, Cam, not upset with us because of... well, you know what?" Hunter asked, suddenly fascinated with the floor again.  
  
"The deception or the crude behavior, Hunter?" Cam's eyes narrowed meaningfully.  
  
"Deception." Hunter busied himself with a piece of the shag carpet. "I got the behavior, thanks."  
  
Cam paused for a moment, letting Hunter stew. "Nah. Surprises are good sometimes. Just as long as that's the only time you're lying to me."  
  
"But that's half the fun!" Hunter exclaimed, finally looking up.  
  
Cam raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Well, it is!" Hunter exclaimed. "You're too stubborn for your own good."  
  
Cam patted Hunter on the head impishly.  
  
Hunter just looked up at Cam expectantly, not quite sure what was up with his teammate.  
  
"Good dog," Cam said, dashing for his room, leaving a stunned Hunter in his wake.  
  
Hunter, after a moment, tore after him.  
  
Blake snatched up the remote as he noticed the time, and changed the channel before putting it down. He finally knew of something good on, and he wanted to watch his cartoon in peace for once.  
  
The End 


	11. Catch My Fall post BiA

Disclaimer: Characters and situations are the property of BVE and Village Roadshow. No copyright infringement is intended.  
  
Authors' notes: We're sorry about the long delay, a combination of RL issues, overaggressive Dino Thunder plot kittens, and maybe just a need for a break got in the way. We've got a bit of a surprise in the works we're hoping will make up for it.  
  
Catch My Fall by tptigger and EstiRose  
  
"Have the Winds got him distracted *yet*?" Blake asked, shifting nervously in his and Cam's hiding place, trying to peek around Cam.  
  
"Blake, stop moving or he'll spot you," Cam admonished, putting a hand on Blake's shoulder to keep it still. "Shane's calling him out. It kinda depends if he heard.  
  
"I can't help it," Blake said, tapping his foot impatiently, face contorted with concern. "The sooner we get to Hunter the happier I'll be."  
  
Cam returned to watching the area tensely, leaving Blake to watch the area around him. Which probably would have been somewhat interesting to look at any other time, but not at the moment.  
  
Blake took deep breaths, trying to keep calm, trying not to panic. He had to be there for his big bro.  
  
"Blake, relax, you'll hyperventilate," Cam said gently, putting a hand on Blake's shoulder.  
  
Blake stepped away a bit, uncomfortable with accepting Cam's comfort at that moment. "Hunter's..."  
  
"Going to be fine," Cam said fiercely, shifting so that he could keep his hand on Blake's shoulder. "You and I will protect him. That's what brothers do." He squeezed Blake's shoulder firmly.  
  
"He... he...." Blake stammered, unable to get a sentence out.  
  
"He's OK, Blake," Cam said. He frowned. The Winds needed to get a move on, Blake was going to be frozen by panic if they didn't find him something to focus on soon. "He'll be OK if I have to make him better by sheer force of will."  
  
"Your word on that?" Blake asked, suddenly wanting Cam's reassurance like air. "He can be...."  
  
"Stubborn, I know," Cam said, acknowledging the thing that the three of them had in common. Him and Hunter especially. "But you guys are getting better in the admitting department."  
  
"Who us?" Blake asked reflexively. He knew that he and Hunter were still pretty bad at asking for help.  
  
"Yeah, you," Cam said. Motodrone finally came out of the warehouse on his bike.  
  
"Come on, come on!" Blake said impatiently. Finally Motodrone followed the Winds away from the warehouse. He and Cam snuck in, hunting for Hunter's signal. "Where is he?" Blake asked.  
  
Cam craned his neck, trying to see over the dusty boxes. He caught sight of a flash light from some equipment and tapped Blake's shoulder and pointed in the direction he thought Hunter was.  
  
Blake's morpher beeped and Blake glanced at Cam--so much for keeping quiet. "Go for Blake."  
  
"It's Tori!" The Blue Ranger sounded out of breath as she spoke. "We really need your help as soon as you can."  
  
"Right," Blake said, frowning. He didn't like where this was going. "As soon as we know what's going on with Hunter one of us will be out."  
  
"It may have to be Cam who stays," Shane added, sounding regretful and winded at the same time. "He's team medic don't forget."  
  
Blake rolled his eyes--as if he needed reminding who was better able to help Hunter. "How can I forget?" But he couldn't leave Cam to rescue Hunter alone--it's not like they'd be able to just waltz in there and grab him.  
  
"OK, go find Hunter, we'll hold him off as long as we can," Shane said, thudding something in the background. "Shane out."  
  
* * *  
  
After Perry was seen safely home, Blake, Hunter and Cam returned to Ninja Ops, all three tired out from the battle, some more than others.  
  
"Hunter, what the hell were you thinking, coming out with that bike like that?" Blake snapped at Hunter as they tried to relax in the Rec Room, his frustration getting the better of him. "You'd had your Ranger energies drained. You should've been resting, not fighting."  
  
"Good thing I did, you'd have fallen off a cliff!" Hunter countered, snapping back. He ran a hand through his hair.  
  
"That's not the point!" Blake exclaimed, surprising even himself. "You're lucky you're still alive."  
  
Hunter glared at him, clearly shocked he was the one getting the lecture. "Right back at you, little bro!"  
  
"At least I wasn't risking my health... at least any more than we usually do." Blake fired back, glaring at Hunter harshly.  
  
Hunter balked, but recovered quickly. "So you want to fall off a cliff? Why are you bagging on me?"  
  
"You said I could bag on you later when you grabbed me." Blake grinned cheekily. "It's later."  
  
"He's got a point," Cam said softly, trying to diffuse the situation.  
  
"Cam, don't help," Hunter snapped--clearly not wanting any interference in this.  
  
Blake rounded on Cam, as if just noticing he was in the room. "What were you *thinking* letting him take that bike out?"  
  
"It was attuned to him," Cam answered. "The opportunity was there, they shared the energies. Why not use it?"  
  
"He'd almost been destroyed!" Blake snapped, furious at the one who supposedly looked after the health of the entire team. "You promised me you'd take care of him!"  
  
"He did!" Hunter argued, rounding on Blake. "He got me on my feet. It was the middle of battle! What do you expect!" He stepped in front of Cam, so that Blake could no longer see their teammate and sometime brother.  
  
"You to have some sense!" Blake insisted. "Both of you. Especially Cam."  
  
"I out-stubborned him," Hunter insisted right back. "That bike had me written all over it! It was meant to be mine!"  
  
"Hunter, you're too important to be taking stupid risks!" Blake snapped, moving around so that he could glare at Cam once again, wondering why he hadn't stopped Hunter's insane motivations. Only his oldest brother wasn't there--apparently he'd left Hunter and Blake to work things out on their own.  
  
Good.  
  
"You're the one who fell off a cliff!" Hunter held his arms wide in frustration. "And you're too important to be doing that."  
  
"Shut up!" Cam exclaimed, trying to clear the conversation. He simultaneously handed them purple and red popsicles.  
  
Hunter and Blake stared.  
  
"Grape?" Blake asked.  
  
"The Blue's more Tori-colored." Cam sighed. "Dad thought that would work."  
  
Blake and Hunter exchanged glances.  
  
"You went to your Dad over this?" Hunter asked.  
  
"Look, Blake," Cam said, "I couldn't get Hunter out of there without him taking the bike with him--not without a week to study the thing anyway. It was still imprinted with his energy. Now that it's done its job and Hunter's OK without it, I'm not fixing it."  
  
"What?" Hunter asked, incredulously, motioning with the popsicle. "You have to fix it! It gives us an advantage in the air."  
  
"No, I don't," Cam said stubbornly, crossing his arms and turning away. "It was dangerous."  
  
"But.. but... it was sick," Hunter said lamely, popsicle forgotten. "I've never ridden something quite like it.  
  
"Yes, and now it's resting in pieces." Cam said calmly. "I am *not* fixing it. I'm taking it to the scrap heap where it belongs."  
  
"Think how much good we could do with it!" Hunter exclaimed, motioning with his hands and almost hitting Blake with his popsicle.  
  
"Serves you right for piloting it when you weren't up to it," Blake muttered, weaving in time.  
  
Hunter turned beet red. "Blake, shut up. Cam, fix it."  
  
"No," Blake and Cam said simultaneously.  
  
Hunter sat down, still holding the popsicle. "Please?"  
  
Blake looked at his brother, his anger fading and his hurt puppy dog expression coming to the fore. "Don't you care how scared I was?" Blake's voice was at a near whisper.  
  
"How scared you were? Blake, you *fell off a cliff*," Hunter said, frowning.  
  
"It happened!" Blake declared, unwilling to relent. "We nearly didn't find you in time."  
  
"So what?" Hunter shot back, just as unwilling to give in. "You gave me a heart attack!"  
  
"That would be pay back for the one you gave me!" Blake said, nearly yelling.  
  
"That's it," Cam said, his patience gone, "You two argue, I'm going to go play Snafu on the PowerBook."  
  
Hunter balked, but Cam was gone before he could say anything. "Aggh."  
  
"Now look what you made him do," Blake said, accusingly.  
  
"What *I* made him do?" Hunter bristled, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.  
  
"Yeah," Blake told him, looking at the door helplessly.  
  
"I think you can't see you're at fault for anything right now," Hunter accused, frustration creeping into his voice.  
  
"I'm freaked," Blake said meaningfully. "I mean, you got kidnapped. You were nearly destroyed. That's not part of the job!"  
  
"Yes, Blake, sometimes it is," Hunter said quietly, planting a hand on Blake's shoulder.  
  
"So is falling off a cliff," Blake pointed out. "It happens. It's part of being a Ranger."  
  
"Yeah, well, you're my brother," Hunter said, taking a deep breath and seeming to calm down. "And my teammate. I had to be there, to catch your fall."  
  
Blake flopped onto a nearby piece of furniture and buried his head in his hands, taking deep breaths once again.  
  
Hunter sat down next to Blake, resisting the urge to hug him. "I didn't mean to scare you. "  
  
"You did," Blake said simply. "Man, I thought I'd lost you!"  
  
"All I could think of was that bike was *meant* for me." Hunter scrubbed a hand over his face, suddenly feeling horrible for what his brother had gone through.  
  
"Getting to ride around on a bike that's cooler than all of ours put together?" Blake asked.  
  
Hunter chuckled. "That was part of it. And I could get more air than Shane does with his air attacks."  
  
Blake shook his head. "Look, bro, I know you're excited by a new piece of moto gear, but this isn't moto, it's our lives!"  
  
"Yeah, but gear I know how to use to fight evil?" Hunter asked, leaning forward. "Good for protecting lives. Yours, mine, Cam's, the Winds'... most of Blue Bay Harbor's."  
  
"Great, we're back to the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one," Blake said miserably, contemplating his melting popsicle. "Bro, sometimes I wish someone else had been chosen to be Rangers."  
  
"Yeah," Hunter agreed. He paused, ruffling Blake's hair. "You're the one who wanted to stay here."  
  
Blake collapsed against the arm of the couch, memories of that day on the beach springing up in his mind. "That again! Get over it."  
  
"I *am* over it. I'm here, right? I'm living in the same building as the Winds' Sensei, right?" Hunter shook his head, wondering at all the changes going on in his life. "Look, Blake, I'm sorry. I did what I thought needed to be done."  
  
Blake sighed, sitting up. "I'm sorry I snapped so much. I'm just... still freaked."  
  
Hunter threw an arm carelessly around Blake's shoulders. "I don't blame you, bro. I like what Cam did to the bike. That doesn't mean I wanted to be Motodrone's chew toy."  
  
"Just... try not to scare me like that again, OK? I think I gave Cam motion sickness from shaking him trying to get him to find you." Blake stared at the half melted popsicle in his hand, clearly a little embarrassed at his earlier panic.  
  
Hunter grinned at the mental picture. "I'll try not to."  
  
"Thanks, bro." Blake grinned at Hunter weakly.  
  
"Do we even want to know what's in these popsicles?" Hunter asked, looking at the popsicle suspiciously.  
  
"Sugar?" Blake asked, looking at his popsicle as well. "I don't know, it's like more on my hand than anything else, dude."  
  
"Maybe we should ditch them and raid the Tofuttis," Hunter suggested, looking for the trash can.  
  
Blake grinned, returning to his normally cheerful self. "Good idea. Race you to the fridge."  
  
"Ok, on three," Hunter grinned, glad everything was back to normal. "One, two..." He took off running.  
  
The End 


	12. Jeweled Sunset postGoaD

Disclaimer: Characters and situations are the property of BVE and Village Roadshow Pictures (KP). No tofu-based ice cream bars were harmed in the making of this story.  
  
Spoilers: "Gem of a Day"  
  
Building Family: Jeweled Sunset   
by EstiRose and TpTigger   
c 2004  
  
After Cam had left, Hunter was still sitting on the rock, brooding. He'd so wanted to be in touch with someone who wasn't a Wind that it hurt. Not that he didn't like Shane, or Dustin, or Tori, and Cam made a respectable older brother, but they weren't Thunders and sometimes, they didn't understand. Especially Cam, who thought he understood because they were both sons of Senseis. And now that chance was gone. He couldn't contact his parents, and the ninja students still weren't free.  
  
Blake... would understand his fears, but couldn't allay them any more than Hunter or Sensei Watanabe could. He didn't know if he and Blake would be accepted back at the Thunder Ninja Academy. He wasn't sure if Sensei Omino would accept them back into his life.  
  
And Hunter wanted that. He knew the Winds, Cam, and even Sensei Watanabe would always be a part of his life, but Sensei Omino had raised he and Blake from the time he was ten. Hunter simply needed his acceptance.  
  
"Bro?" Blake asked. He had a Cutie in his hand, an unwrapped one.  
  
"Cam send you?" Hunter asked, eyeing the Cutie suspiciously.  
  
"You saying I don't know when my big bro needs to talk on my own?" Blake asked. He extended his other hand--which also contained a Cutie.  
  
Hunter accepted it, studying the wrapper as if he'd never seen one before. "Cam just tends to be nosy. I guess it was because of when we were hiding from the rest of the team."  
  
"Nearly killing ourselves probably had something to do with it." Blake laid his free hand on Hunter's shoulder, applying gentle, sideways pressure. "Scoot over."  
  
Hunter obliged, making room for Blake to perch next to him on the rock.  
  
Blake took a bite of his Cutie. "So, want to tell me what's wrong?"  
  
"I'm worried about the reaction of the rest of the Thunder Academy." Hunter unwrapped his carefully, as if it were important to save the wrapper. "And Sensei in particular."  
  
"LeAnne didn't have a problem with Tori," Blake pointed out, frowning at his brother's progress. "That's going to melt on you."  
  
"LeAnne likes to shake things up," Hunter replied, ignoring Blake's fussing. "And she's probably a sucker for that big, dopey grin you get on your face whenever Tori's around."  
  
"I do not have a big, dopey grin when I'm around Tori," Blake said, pouting.  
  
Hunter chuckled, and shook his head. He didn't feel like picking a fight. "Whatever you say, bro."  
  
"Anyway, I really don't think Sensei will have a problem--especially when we didn't have a choice in the matter," Blake reminded him. He took another bite, gazing in the direction of his adopted Academy.  
  
Hunter nodded, remembering the circumstances that had brought them there. "Slowly starve or move in with Cam and Sensei Watanabe. Yeah, good point."  
  
"I just hope he's cool when I want to keep seeing Tori," Blake said, voicing his own worry. With good reason. Sensei Omino was sometimes... a little slow at adapting to new ideas.  
  
Hunter squeezed Blake's shoulder, trying to lighten the mood. "I think one look at the two of you together should melt any reservations he might have."  
  
Blake grinned momentarily at that, then his face creased into a frown. "I just hope we can bring them home soon."  
  
"Me too," Hunter said. He looked at the horizon for a moment, lost in thought. Then he turned to Blake, his brow creasing in worry. "That said, we can't let Cam spend every waking moment working on that zord, dude."  
  
Blake nodded in agreement. "You'd think he'd leave that to CyberCam."  
  
"Not when it's important to him," Hunter said with a sigh.  
  
"Sensei's going to force-teleport him out of ops and lock the door, and where will we be?" Blake asked. "It's not like he can leave directions for CyberCam if Sensei has to do that."  
  
"We'll just have to make him leave directions for CyberCam and drag him somewhere fun," Hunter said confidently. He took the final bite of his Cutie.  
  
"Right," Blake said, crinkling his own wrapper. "We all could use a break. Including you, bro." He nudged Hunter meaningfully. "After all, you were sneaking around with the gem fragments to talk to our dead parents."  
  
"Not that often," Hunter said, blushing and deciding to just not go there. "Just... yeah."  
  
"Still," Blake insisted, "you should have told me."  
  
Hunter sighed. Blake had to go to the heart of the matter. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want to get your hopes up, OK? If I'd got it to work, believe me, I'd have let you know."  
  
Blake shook his head at his older brother's stubbornness. "Bro, you've got to learn not to try to protect me. We're both Rangers, remember?"  
  
"Isn't that the very definition of teammate?" Hunter asked innocently.  
  
"No, your idea of protect when it comes to me is far beyond 'teammate' and goes into 'annoying big brother'," Blake insisted  
  
"No, that's Cam," Hunter argued, trying to turn Blake's focus onto their adoptive 'older brother'.  
  
"Let's not even get into Cam," Blake said. "He's not even in this discussion."  
  
"Why not?" Hunter stood up and stretched. "You want overprotective, his picture's next to the word in the dictionary."  
  
Blake got up and clapped his older brother on the shoulder. "I think that's your picture, bro."  
  
Hunter put an arm around Blake's neck, giving him a noogie. "You ever had Cam take care of you when you're sick?"  
  
"You should've seen yourself, Hunter, it wasn't pretty." Blake stepped closer to Hunter and lightly tickled his ribs. "And let's not get into how scared I was."  
  
Hunter let go, pulling away. "You little sneak." Hunter let out a deep breath. "Anyway, I just hope we get them out soon. Lothor's going to lose patience sooner or later."  
  
"No kidding." Blake stretched too, his brow wrinkling in concern. "Now there's a thought that scares me. What would happen if he tried multiple monsters at once."  
  
"Yeah," Hunter agreed, remembering the sword that he'd retrieved. He ran his thumb against his palm absently, remembering the feel of the gem fragments in his hands. "Zurgane's no longer around--something's happening up there, and I don't like it."  
  
Blake shuddered, remembering how Zurgane had been when the two of them had been on Lothor's ship. If he was gone, then things were really unstable. "Me either. We need to make another play for the ninja students, and soon."  
  
"Think it can wait until after the big race?" Hunter asked, taking a deep breath and hoping that it could. They needed the down time, and needed it badly.  
  
Blake nodded, gazing out at the mountains. "Hope so."  
  
Hunter looked up to the sky. Somewhere above them were their classmates. Teachers. Father. "Soon," he whispered in prayer. "Soon."  
  
END 


	13. Bruised Egos postDaD

Disclaimer: BVE and VPR own these folks, not us. The canary ate the cream, I swear!  
  
Spoilers: Down and Dirty  
  
Building Family: Bruised Egos   
by EstiRose and TpTigger   
c 2004  
  
"It was too a fair pass!" Blake exclaimed as he and Hunter thundered into Ninja Ops, ignoring everything but his brother and not tripping down the stairs.  
  
"It was not," Hunter told him, equally ignoring everything but Blake. "You sent me spinning into the dirt."  
  
Cam winced. This didn't sound good. Blake and Hunter pretty much never argued, but their arguments had been more frequent recently. He wondered what this argument was about. "Have either of you heard of the concept of inside voices?"  
  
Both of the Thunders just glared at him momentarily, before Blake turned back to his brother. "We both had enough room there. If you spun, it's all your fault."  
  
Cam wondered if he should hit both Thunders over the head, at least until they came to their senses. Or took it outside.  
  
"I never spin, Blake," Hunter growled, leaning in so that he was breathing on Blake's face.  
  
"Before today I'd have agreed, dude, but you spun!" Blake started to turn away.  
  
Cam stepped between the two of them. "What is going on here?"  
  
"I won the race and Hunter's jealous." Blake rolled his eyes, as if the entire situation was ridiculous.  
  
Hunter leaned around Cam, glaring at his little brother. "Blake cheated."  
  
Blake frowned. "Did not."  
  
"Did too!" Hunter exclaimed, moving around Cam to confront Blake once more.  
  
Cam winced, hoping that he had enough pain reliever when the Thunders finally calmed down. He stepped between them again. "Hunter, do you really believe Blake would cheat?"  
  
"He did!" Hunter exclaimed, crossing his arms and glaring at Cam as if daring him to say otherwise.  
  
"No, I didn't!" Blake declared. He glared once more at Hunter and moved off, as if to say his part of the argument was over.  
  
"Great, what I need right now is for the two of you to be acting like you're six," Cam said, throwing up his hands. "You went through all this and you're upset because of one race?"  
  
Hunter glared at Cam as if he were insane. "It wasn't just a race, it was the qualifying race for nationals!" Hunter exclaimed.  
  
"And he thinks I cheated to get there," Blake sat at the Ninja Ops table in frustration. "Like I would!"  
  
"You want to explain how else I ended up eating dirt?" Hunter leaned across the table and got in Blake's face again.  
  
"What happened?" Cam crossed his arms, trying to look authoritative. Maybe the brothers just needed an objective opinion.  
  
"Blake pushed me into the ditch." Hunter stood, gesturing in Blake's general direction.  
  
"I passed him, and he overcorrected, ended up taking a spill." Blake shrugged. "I was going to ask if he was OK after the race, but he blew up at me, so I figured he was."  
  
"That's because I didn't overcorrect. I do know how to ride!" Hunter exclaimed. "I don't make mistake!"  
  
"You messed up, bro, admit it," Blake snapped. "You just can't admit it."  
  
Cam threw up his hands again. Clearly, this was getting him nowhere. "I'm going to work on the Zords. Let me know when you two figure it out."  
  
But before he could do that, an alarm blared, and Cam flew to the terminal to determine the latest threat. The Thunders, argument momentarily forgotten, rushed to the terminal as well.  
  
- - -  
  
"Don't even try to make the two of them make sense," Cam grumbled, looking up the stairs. He could hear Blake and Hunter were arguing above ground.  
  
"I don't blame you, man," Dustin agreed, dusting the Ops table with a rag.  
  
"Yeah, they were totally trying to get us to take sides at Storm Chargers earlier." Tori sighed, glancing at the stairs and shaking her head.  
  
"Like it's so bad when those two argue," Dustin agreed. "Dude, there's like no one to go to the track with--I can't ask both of them, and if I only ask one, I'm taking sides."  
  
"You idiot!" Blake shouted.  
  
"Not to mention the noise factor." Dustin rubbed his ears. "If it was that loud down here, how loud was it up there?"  
  
"Can we lock them up in a room until they can behave like adults?" Shane drummed a hand on the table in frustration.  
  
"I've thought about it," Cam confessed. "I probably should lock them in their room until they make up their minds."  
  
"Um," Dustin said, shifting uncomfortably, "would we, like, have to worry about them killing each other?"  
  
"I don't think it's that bad," Cam said, glancing up the stairs.  
  
"I don't know," Shane said, "Hunter really wanted to go to nationals. He was pretty psyched up about it."  
  
"I get why he's disappointed, it's the why he's acting like a three year old I don't get," Tori said, shaking her head at the remaining members of their team.  
  
"Well, like, Hunter's kinda passionate about things," Dustin contributed, rubbing at a spot single-mindedly.  
  
"Yeah, but Blake said he kicked a trash can," Tori said, glancing upwards. "That's not like Hunter."  
  
"Blake probably shouldn't have egged Hunter on, though," Shane shrugged. "Hunter might've calmed down faster if Blake hadn't risen to the bait. They gotta work this out for themselves."  
  
"Agreed," Cam said, with a sigh.  
  
There was another shout from above.  
  
"Do any of you think your parents would mind if I crashed on your couch?" Cam asked.  
  
"Dude, you so didn't say that!" Blake shouted as he and Hunter came down the steps to Ninja Ops.  
  
The Thunders' steps echoed off the walls like gunshots.  
  
Cam turned, glaring at his little brothers. "Will you two chill out?" Cam snapped irritably.  
  
"Yeah, if you're going to act like six year olds, why don't you call a do-over?" Dustin added, as if it was the most sensible thing in the world.  
  
The Thunders just stared at Dustin. Stared at the others. Stared at each other. Then stared at Dustin again.  
  
"What? It's a good idea!" Dustin exclaimed, forgetting the dust rag.  
  
"We are not acting like six year olds," Hunter said, clearly trying to keep his voice even.  
  
"Yes, you are," Cam pointed out, getting up. "Normally, we can't separate the two of you. Right now, however, I can't believe that you are the same two people who managed to hide where you lived from me."  
  
Now it was Cam's turn to be stared at.  
  
Cam shifted to cross his arms, and assumed what he hoped was a leaderly tone. "Look, take Dustin's suggestion or not, but get out of here and leave the rest of us alone until you work this out, our ears can't take it."  
  
"Fine!" Hunter went upstairs, ignoring his younger brother.  
  
Blake stared at Cam for a moment, his face pleading.  
  
"He's your brother, Blake," Cam said gently. "You can work this out."  
  
"I'm not the one with the problem." Blake shook his head, glaring at the other as if they'd abandoned him.  
  
Cam took Blake's shoulders wordlessly and started pushing him up the stairs.  
  
Blake sighed heavily, catching the hint. "I'm going, I'm going." He sounded miserable.  
  
"It'll be fine, Blake, I promise," Cam said reassuringly. "It's just hard to think straight when you're upset. Trust me."  
  
"Right," Blake said, clearly unconvinced but perhaps realizing he wouldn't get anywhere in Ops.  
  
He headed upstairs, after his brother.  
  
Once he got up the stairs, Hunter was waiting, arms crossed. "Track, half an hour."  
  
"You've got it," Blake said, nodding sharply at Hunter before heading off towards the lake. He needed some time to think.  
  
The End 


	14. Hey, Jealousy

Disclaimer: Characters and situations are the property of BVE and Village Road show. The mecha belongs to Toei. No copyright infringement is intended.  
  
Author's notes: We stole the title from a Gin Blossoms song, but it's not a songfic. The monster is actually a Hurricanger monster not featured in Ninja Storm (but he may have appeared briefly in one of the multiple monster scenes, we're not sure).  
  
Hey, Jealousy   
by TpTigger and EstiRose  
  
"Man, oh man, I'm worked," Dustin said, flopping down at the table at Ninja Ops.  
  
"Something is happening on Lothor's ship," Cam reminded him, sitting down beside him. "We're all tired and on-edge."  
  
"Hey, aren't you chatting with Trini tonight?" Hunter asked lazily from his position across the table. He pried off his morpher for Cam to look at. It had been damaged in the fight with Lothor's forces.  
  
Cam accepted the morpher. "Yeah. I'm tired. I hope I come up with a good excuse...."  
  
"There's always 'your Dad ran you ragged', dude," Dustin suggested, lying down on the floor, as if to demonstrate that's how he felt.  
  
"Or you could just talk to her and try not fall asleep." Tori leaned against Blake, clearly trying to follow her own advice. "At some point she'll understand that you want to go to sleep."  
  
"I just hate being tired when I talk to her," Cam confessed, fiddling with Hunter's morpher.  
  
"You'll be fine." Shane clapped his shoulder. "Just remember she doesn't know."  
  
Cam nodded. "I think I'll have to use the 'took Dad out for medical tests' excuse again. She's heard it before, though."  
  
"Ties in well with the 'Dad's really sick' excuse," Hunter reminded him. "I'm sure she'll understand."  
  
Cam sighed, not thrilled at the prospect. "I hope so. She's been so understanding, lately. It's just that I'm getting tired of lying to her."  
  
"I know, bro," Blake said, patting his shoulder.  
  
"Maybe we should take you out somewhere," Shane offered as he leaned against a wall. "Give you a chance to remember you have a life outside the team."  
  
"Thanks, Shane, but she'll be expecting my call." Cam shook his head as he closed the panel to Hunter's morpher. He was so not looking forward to lying to Trini again. He gave Hunter his morpher back.  
  
The alarm blared, and CyberCam materialized in the chair. "Whoa, dudes!"  
  
The Rangers gathered around him, craning their necks to see the screen.  
  
"A giant nose?" Tori nearly whined at the concept.  
  
"Lothor's scraping the bottom of the bottom of the barrel, isn't he?" Shane pointed out with a groan.  
  
"Let's cut off his nose to spite his face," Dustin grinned--adrenaline all ready giving him a second wind.  
  
"Let's go!" Shane exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, before I have to explain to Trini why I'm tired and why I didn't call her on time," Cam groused, hoping for a short fight.  
  
"Right," Tori said, obviously eager to get this over herself.  
  
"Ninja Storm!"  
  
"Thunder Storm!"  
  
"Samurai Storm!"  
  
"Ranger Form!"  
  
The six of them rushed to battle, but as they arrived, the nose monster seemed to be stirring up some soup with a pair of chopsticks. "Ah, Rangers, you've arrived," it purred. It stood there, not attacking them.  
  
It was a comical monster, really. Head shaped like a nose, a pair of glasses wedged on. Pompoms on either side. It looked... really, really stupid.  
  
"What do you want?" Cam demanded impatiently.  
  
"Ah, Samurai Ranger," the monster taunted. "Is that anxiety I smell?" It cackled. "Perhaps you just need some music to brighten up your girlfriend's life!" He ceremoniously lifted the chopsticks over his head, and garbage can lids rained from the sky.  
  
"Thunder shields," Blake and Hunter chorused, turning their shields against the rain of garbage cans.  
  
Tori dragged Dustin with her to Blake's side, leaving Shane and Cam to scramble under Hunter's shield.  
  
"Didn't anyone ever tell you it was bad form to be nosey?" Cam snapped.  
  
"Once or twice," the monster crowed. "But the Nose Knows!"  
  
"Great, now we have a Shadow rip-off," Hunter muttered.  
  
"Let's just take him down," Cam grumbled.  
  
"Sonic Fin!" Tori exclaimed. She activated her megaphone. "Stop those garbage can lids right now."  
  
Nose Knows waved the chopsticks and the rain of lids came to a halt.  
  
The Thunder threw away their shields, drawing their weapons instead.  
  
"Crimson Blaster!"  
  
"Navy Antlers!"  
  
"Let's give him double trouble." Shane nodded at Dustin. "Hawk Blaster."  
  
"Lion Hammer."  
  
"Put 'em together," Shane called.  
  
"Lightning striker!"  
  
"Thunder Cannon!"  
  
"Ah, ah, ah," Nose Knows taunted, waving his chopsticks. "You can't get rid of me this easily!" A hail of feathers started falling down, obscuring everybody's vision. When the feathers had stopped falling, the monster had disappeared.  
  
"Great," Cam groused.  
  
"Where'd he go?" Dustin added.  
  
"I'm sure he'll show up again," Shane said, clearly not thrilled with the concept.  
  
"I have a chat to attend." Cam sheathed his Samurai Sword. "I'll talk to you guys later."  
  
With that, Cam streaked towards Ninja Ops.  
  
Dustin opened his visor, revealing a furrowed brow. "Who is that dude and what did he do with Cam?"  
  
"Yeah, what got into his head?" Shane asked, still staring after the Samurai.  
  
"Which one?" Hunter quipped.  
  
"Man, he really needs some time off," Dustin said.  
  
"Blake and I will drag him out after he talks to Trini," Hunter said, making up his mind. "He needs it."  
  
- - -  
  
Cam ran into his room, fumbling the iSight onto his PowerBook, and as a result, taking several minutes to do so. He hoped Trini was still there. With trembling fingers he started the program and waited for her to appear.  
  
Once Trini appeared, he launched the viewer. "Hi," he said breathlessly, vaguely aware that he'd failed to put a sweatshirt over his training uniform. At least his amulet was tucked in under his shirt.  
  
Trini's eyes shot up in surprise as she took in Cam's outfit. "Did you just come from a costume party or something?"  
  
"Dad and his um, partner are looking at some new gi designs," Cam explained, tugging at his collar. "I didn't have time to change."  
  
"Oh," Trini said. Her voice projected nonchalance, but her eyes narrowed a bit in skepticism. "Is your father all right?"  
  
"We just came back from an appointment that ran really late," Cam said apologetically.  
  
"An appointment that involved trying on new gis?" Trini asked.  
  
Cam nodded. "The guy was late. I'm sorry, Trini."  
  
Trini sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. It was clear she was gathering her thoughts.  
  
"So, what's going on over there?" Cam prompted, eager to turn the conversation somewhere else. Anywhere else.  
  
"My friend Billy's coming to visit," Trini said breathlessly.  
  
"Oh?" Cam asked. He'd heard of Billy, but was under the impression that the other man was doing some kind of technology setup somewhere in Africa or Asia. Trini had never been specific, and he'd never been that curious. "How long is he going to be there?"  
  
"About a week," Trini said brightly, her smile warming her entire face. "Which is brilliant 'cause he's been abroad so long. I haven't seen him in years."  
  
"Oh," Cam said, without enthusiasm. Here he was, stuck in Blue Bay Harbor because of his stupid Uncle, and Trini had a guy over. He had to wonder what was going on there.  
  
"Cam?" Trini asked, her face growing concerned. "Is something wrong?"  
  
"Just tired." Cam yawned, as if to illustrate the point. "Dad had a medical appointment before the gis."  
  
"You're not getting the wrong idea about this, are you?" Trini asked.  
  
Cam shook his head. He didn't want Trini to think he was getting jealous. "I just miss you so much."  
  
"I miss you too, honey," Trini said. "The um... do the doctor's have any idea when your Dad's going to get better?"  
  
"I don't know." Cam sighed miserably. "I wish I did. I know it's hard, it's hard for me too. But please, don't give up hope. I will meet you out there, Trini. I just don't have any idea when."  
  
He stared at the keyboard, he didn't think it'd be enough to kill Trini's excuse for a fling, but he could hope, right? Right?  
  
"I know," Trini said gently, with a rueful smile. "I wish I could be out there for you. I know how tough some things can be, sometimes."  
  
Cam stared. Was she really saying that?  
  
"It's been really tough," Cam responded finally. "I'm really tired. I just wish it was me instead of your 'friend' out there." Oh, god, had that sounded as bad as he thought it had? It probably had.  
  
Trini stared at him, as if he'd accidentally let CyberCam have this chat instead of himself. "Cam, Billy really is just a friend. Like Tommy. A lot like Tommy."  
  
"Except smarter and more up to your caliber," Cam said.  
  
Trini's voice softened. "Cam...."  
  
"Never mind, Trini," Cam said shortly. He shouldn't have hurried. He should have made his excuses in an e-mail, or something. That stupid monster had him on edge. He started tapping the track pad nervously.  
  
Trini kept her gaze steady at the camera. "Billy really is just a friend. Maybe in high school he might've become something more, but then I left for the peace conference and... Well, it's ancient history."  
  
He wanted to be reassured that it really was nothing more than that, but he couldn't ask without feeling stupid. "Have fun."  
  
Trini's eyes flicked down from the camera, towards where Cam's face likely was on her computer monitor. It was like she was trying to stare across thousands of miles of fiber optic cable and see his soul.  
  
Cam shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny, but didn't say anything. He lied to her. Daily. What right did he have to ask this of her?  
  
"Cam, are you all right?" she asked finally, obviously worried.  
  
"Fine," he said, dully. Maybe this Billy would be good for her. After all, he didn't have to worry about the bad guys messing up his life. "Have fun, Trini. I mean it."  
  
Trini sighed, as if she had been trying to get through to him, but couldn't. "Fine, I will."  
  
The sirens began to ring in the background, making Cam tense and wondering how he'd explain them to Trini... when he got back. "I've got to go, Trini."  
  
Trini winced, but nodded, seemingly understandingly. "Be safe."  
  
Cam launched from his seat without even bothering to close his Powerbook.  
  
"May the Power protect you," Trini said quietly. The chat window faded away as she logged out of iChat AV.  
  
- - -  
  
"He's baaack," CyberCam said.  
  
Cam winced, wondering when CyberCam had seen Poltergeist.  
  
"Great," Shane said sarcastically. "Where?"  
  
"Blue Bay University amphitheater, man." CyberCam punched up the satellite image, and displayed an image of an open-air amphitheater.  
  
"Let's take care of this creep," Cam said enthusiastically.  
  
Too enthusiastically.  
  
"'Creep'?" Tori asked, staring. "Cam, are you all right?"  
  
"No," Cam said shortly.  
  
Blake and Hunter exchanged glances. This wasn't the Cam they normally lived with. Or at least it was a new side to him.  
  
"Bro, if you need to sit this one out..." Hunter started. He wasn't sure he wanted to allow Cam into battle, and started looking for Sensei.  
  
"Let's just go, OK?" Cam abandoned all convention and enlarged his morpher. "Samurai Storm! Ranger Form!"  
  
He morphed and streaked out of ops, leaving the others stunned.  
  
"We'd better follow him," Shane said with a frown, apparently not sure what to do with Cam. "Ready?"  
  
He was greeted with four nods.  
  
"Ninja Storm!"  
  
"Thunder Storm!"  
  
"Ranger Form!"  
  
"Hey, Cam, wait for us!" Hunter called as the five of them landed outside the amphitheater.  
  
Ignoring them, Cam charged in, Kelzaks rapidly falling victim to his Samurai Saber.  
  
"What the hell happened with Trini?" Blake muttered, his frown hidden by his helmet.  
  
"We got a plan, Shane?" Dustin asked, eyes never leaving his green teammate.  
  
"Get in there and keep Cam from getting himself killed?" Shane suggested, arms spread wide in defeat.  
  
"Works for me," Hunter said, drawing his thunder staff. "And after that, he's not going back to Ops until he calms down."  
  
"No kidding," Blake added, his tone indicating he was not happy with his oldest brother.  
  
The Ninja Rangers charged in after their Samurai teammate, trying desperately to keep him out of trouble.  
  
"Ah, you're back, Rangers," Nose Knows said cheerfully, as if their first encounter was a fond memory. "Do you like my new home?"  
  
"Just stay still and...." But Cam's tirade was interrupted by Hunter.  
  
"Let's just blast the nose and get out of here," he said, pushing forward. "Before Cam pummels him to pieces."  
  
"Ah, but that's not too befitting of a Samurai by blood, is it?" Nose Knows teased.  
  
"You..." Cam spin kicked it.  
  
"Sonic Fin."  
  
"Hawk Blaster."  
  
"Lion Hammer."  
  
While the Winds were keeping the Nose and Cam distracted by their weapons, the Thunders had snuck up on the Green Ranger  
  
"Stupid big brother," Hunter grumbled, nodding at Blake. They each grabbed one of Cam's arms and hauled him away.  
  
"Let go of me you little brats!" Cam groused. "Just 'cause I've accepted this whole older brother gig doesn't mean you get to act like a couple of little pains in the neck."  
  
"Pie striker!" Nose Knows called cheerfully, and pies started falling on the Wind Rangers, disrupting their concentration.  
  
"Thunder shield!" Blake called, shoving Cam at Hunter (and completely ignoring Cam's tirade). "I'll protect the Winds, you get Cam out of here."  
  
"Right!" Hunter responded, hauling Cam away from the stage.  
  
"Hunter, let me go," Cam said, struggling in Hunter's arms.  
  
"Never, bro," Hunter said, dragging Cam outside.  
  
"Hunter, LET ME GO!" Cam jerked loose and ran off again, back into the battle.  
  
Hunter swore, chasing after Cam before the Samurai could get into any more trouble.  
  
At that moment, a 1000 ton weight dropped on Nose Knows, ending Hunter's worries.  
  
Cam cursed. In several languages.  
  
"Don't let Sensei hear you, you'll have a ten-mile jog," Hunter said to the Samurai, as Cam stopped abruptly.  
  
At that point, a scroll descended, reviving and enlarging Nose Knows.  
  
"CyberCam, Zords please," Shane said, backing up to dodge a giant foot. "And teleport your programmer back to Ninja Ops before he gets someone k--destroyed, OK?"  
  
"Right away, dude," the program said cheerfully. Cam disappeared in a teleportation effect while their Zords appeared.  
  
Hunter could hear some choice words in his helmet.  
  
"Sorry about Cam, dude," CyberCam said, voice still completely cheerful. "He's, like, not too happy right now."  
  
"Tell us something we don't know," Shane muttered. "Cam, it's for your own good."  
  
"You obnoxious little meddling kid," Cam snapped.  
  
"Team leader privilege," Shane replied evenly. "We'll take care of Nose Knows, you have one of your ice cream bars and relax."  
  
Cam continued to grouse as the Rangers leapt into their Zords.  
  
- - -  
  
"That's the end of Nose Knows," Shane said as the team came into Ops.  
  
"Thank goodness," Tori added.  
  
"Right," Hunter said, only one thing on his mind. "Blake and I will take care of Cam."  
  
"Sure you two want to go in alone?" Shane asked, looking at Hunter. "I've never seen him that pissed--not even when we thrashed the Zords."  
  
"We don't want him to have to treat the whole team afterwards," Hunter joked weakly, not looking forward to the confrontation himself.  
  
"If you're sure," Tori started, but Hunter nodded.  
  
"I'm sure," he said simply.  
  
"Call us if you need us, dudes," Dustin said, accepting what had to be done.  
  
"We will," Hunter promised. He hoped he wouldn't need to.  
  
"Right." Shane's tone was less than sure.  
  
The Winds headed up the stairs in the direction of the holographic entryway.  
  
"Do we have a plan?" Blake asked, putting a hand on Hunter's shoulder.  
  
"No," Hunter said, frowning. "But I'll pick him up bodily if I have to."  
  
"OK," Blake said with a sigh. "Let's go."  
  
Hunter knocked on Cam's door. "Cam?" he called.  
  
"Go away," Cam said, through the door.  
  
"No," Hunter said, simply.  
  
"You talking to Trini again?" Blake asked hopefully--maybe Cam was fixing things on his own.  
  
"No," Cam said, sounding petulant.  
  
Blake and Hunter exchanged glances. It sounded, almost, like this was the problem.  
  
"Want one of us to talk to her for you?" Hunter asked. He wondered if Trini would mind if he e-mailed her. It might solve the problem.  
  
"No!"  
  
Okay, obviously, not the answer.  
  
"Will you at least open the door?" Blake pleaded.  
  
"No," Cam said. "Go away."  
  
"I could get CyberCam to force-teleport you out," Hunter threatened.  
  
"No, you can't," Cam countered. "I've got baffles."  
  
"I can break the lock on the door, though," Hunter said petulantly.  
  
"No need, Hunter." Sensei leapt onto Hunter's shoulder. He punched a code into the lock and the door slid open.  
  
Cam was huddled on his bed, only his face visible from the blanket, though he was leaning against his headboard. He glared at his father and the two Thunders.  
  
His father leapt from Hunter's shoulder to Cam's. Blake and Hunter sat on the bed, flanking their older brother.  
  
"So, big bro, want to talk about it?" Hunter offered gently, his tone exactly the same as it would have been if Cam had allowed them in voluntarily.  
  
"No," Cam said, trying to push the Thunders away, and not really succeeding.  
  
Hunter and Blake each grabbed an arm, restraining him.  
  
"Will you two just leave me alone?" Cam snapped, trying to get loose.  
  
"No," the Thunders chorused, concentrating on their task.  
  
Cam just glared at the two of them, resolutely ignoring the guinea pig on his shoulder. "Great."  
  
Hunter shrugged, as if it didn't matter. "Hey, isolating yourself is not going to work here. Either you talk to us, or I figure out how to use the iSight and talk to Trini for you."  
  
"Don't you dare!" Cam snapped. He made a lunge towards his desk.  
  
"Then call her yourself." Hunter carefully picked up Cam's laptop, careful to keep the webcam mounted on it steady. He handed Cam his computer.  
  
"She'll just deny it." Cam stared at his laptop as if it were a foreign object--like a Dell.  
  
"Deny what?" Blake asked, rubbing Cam's shoulder.  
  
"It," Cam said unhelpfully.  
  
Blake collapsed against Cam's free shoulder. "You're not helping, dude."  
  
"Never mind," Cam snapped, pushing Blake away.  
  
"I do mind, dude, I've never seen you this upset." Blake frowned in concern and sat up.  
  
"Did Trini freak when you had to bail?" Hunter asked, searching for the cause of Cam's distress.  
  
"No," Cam said, sounding confused. "Of course, I really didn't notice, given there was that stupid monster of Lothor's and all."  
  
"Does he have any other kind?" Hunter asked grouchily.  
  
"Hunter, you're channeling Dustin," Blake said to Hunter, squinting at him. "Stop it, it's scary."  
  
Cam ignored Blake and handed the laptop back to Hunter. "I'll take care of it on my own."  
  
"Why am I having problems believing that?" Hunter asked, raising an eyebrow and putting the laptop back on the desk.  
  
"Look, this is something I have to work out for myself," Cam snapped.  
  
"You promise you will?" Hunter asked, trying his best to imitate Blake's puppy dog eyes.  
  
"I promise," Cam said, meeting Hunter's gaze for the first time.  
  
"Good," Hunter said, putting a hand on Cam's shoulder and leaning in close. "'Cause if you don't, I will be talking to Trini."  
  
"Great, that'll fix things," Cam said sarcastically, pushing Hunter back.  
  
"Your choice," Hunter said, pointing a finger at Cam's chest.  
  
"Cameron, sometimes it helps to work things out by explaining them to others," Sensei cajoled.  
  
"Look, Trini and I are having a problem, all right?" Cam snapped.  
  
His father moved closer to Cam's neck. "Does this have something to do with your Ranger duties detaining you from graduate school?"  
  
Cam let out a frustrated sigh. How could he phrase what was going on without sounding totally jealous?  
  
"That a yes bro?" Hunter asked, leaning in again.  
  
"Yes," Cam said, sounding strangled.  
  
"Hey, Trini understands," Hunter said, smiling slightly and patting Cam on the shoulder not containing Sensei. "I mean, she doesn't understand the Ranger thing, but I think she understands that you have to be here."  
  
Cam sighed. He was going to sound really stupid. "Yeah, but one of her friends from high school is coming to visit her."  
  
Hunter looked at Cam with a blank expression of confusion.  
  
"And this is bothering you why?" Blake asked, brow furrowed in equal confusion.  
  
"He's probably...." Cam sighed.  
  
"What?" Hunter interrupted.  
  
"Probably... well, sometimes I wonder if Trini's moved on and hasn't told me." Cam's voice was so quiet the Thunders had to strain to hear him.  
  
Hunter gawked. "Dude, I mean, I met her for what--a couple hours? But she totally doesn't seem..."  
  
Cam let out a breath. "I know. But maybe it's time to let her go."  
  
"Cam, you are tired and angry, this is not the time to be making such rash decisions," Sensei said, patting Cam's neck.  
  
"Sensei's right," Hunter pointed. "We just did battle. You know how cranky we all get after a battle."  
  
"Some help you are," Cam said, getting up and starting to pace. "Go away."  
  
"Not unless you rest and go nowhere near the iChat... or an internet connection." Hunter quietly thought of confiscating Cam's PowerBook and e-mailing Trini to let her know Cam wouldn't be coming online for awhile. However, separating Cam from his baby was the equivalent of trying to separate a wolf from her cubs--not a good idea.  
  
Cam sighed in defeat. "Fine. I'll read. Happy?"  
  
"Yeah," Hunter said. "You promise?"  
  
"I promise. Shoo," Cam said, pulling out a book and sitting down.  
  
Hunter patted his teammate on the shoulder once again, and as if by unspoken agreement, Sensei jumped onto his. "Have a good evening, Cam."  
  
No reply was spoken as the door closed behind Hunter.  
  
The End 


	15. Futile Cruise duringSBtCp1

Disclaimer: Characters are the property of BVE and Village Roadshow. No copyright infringement intended. The table is nice and brown.

Authors' notes/spoilers: Spoilers for Storm Before the Calm part 1. We told Trent to shut up and let Blake, Hunter, and Cam talk until he (Trent) could give us something new for a change.

Futile Cruise  
by EstiRose and TpTigger  
c 2004

Hunter frowned as he and Cam headed away from the group towards the tents of the midway-like area for the action games. Why on Earth did Cam want to cruise for girls? He had a girl.

"You sure you want to be doing this?" Hunter asked, throwing an arm around Cam's shoulders. "I mean, what about Trini?"

"What about her?" Cam snapped, pushing Hunter's arm away.

Hunter frowned, studying Cam carefully. "Don't you think she'll be upset that you're cruising for other girls."

"I don't think she'll care," Cam said, cooly studying the crowd, as if to avoid Hunter's gaze. "She's gonna dump me anyway."

"What makes you say that?" Hunter asked. Where had he gotten the idea? Last time Hunter had seen the two of them together, they'd seemed like the perfect couple.

"She's seeing an 'old friend'," Cam told him flatly.

"What, you think that won't be you and Tori in a couple of years?" Hunter asked, trying to steer Cam towards the more exciting stuff.

Cam rolled his eyes. "Sister-in-law's a little different." He allowed himself to be lead towards the sports merchandise tables.

Hunter blushed at the thought of Blake and Tori getting married. "But you sure you're doing the right thing? I mean, girls that go to action games aren't usually your type. Trini's your type."

"Hunter, how many times to I have to tell you to mind your own business?" Cam asked, fixing Hunter with the sort of glare usually reserved for when one of his teammates had messed up his computers.

"I think Blake's over 5,000 and it hasn't gotten through to me yet," Hunter said cheekily. If Cam was going to try to intimidate him with that it wasn't going to work.

"Your skull's too thick." Cam gently smacked Hunter upside the head.

"Yeah, and I like Trini. She's nice. You sure you're not CyberCam?" Hunter studied his brother carefully--this really was odd behavior for him.

Cam glared at him. "I am NOT CyberCam. If CyberCam tried to leave Ninja Ops without my knowledge, all your morphers would get beamed a recorded warning message."

"Not if he disabled it," Hunter said, pointing that fact out. "Okay, if you're determined to get in trouble with Trini, I won't stop you."

"Thank you," Cam said, giving the other Ranger a sarcastic, shallow bow.

Hunter headed towards a group.

"What are you doing, Hunter?" Cam asked, mystified.

"I'm gonna go talk to that cute girl," Hunter said confidently. "She's got a friend. You coming?"

"I'm coming." Cam hesitated for a moment, then a resolved look formed on his face and he followed Hunter to the booth where the two girls were looking at Moto X gear.

"Hi, there," Hunter said with a grin, leaning one hand on a table.

The girl glanced up at Hunter, rolled her eyes, and returned to the selection of motocross gloves in front of her.

Hunter winked at Cam, smiling roguishly. "I'm Hunter Bradley, this my brother Cam."

"Oh." The girl didn't bother to look up.

Hunter glanced back at Cam, a little unsettled. That always got him a curious question when he and Blake went cruising.

"Come on, let's go somewhere else," the girl's friend said to her, grabbing her arm. "They don't have a good selection here."

The two left, one of them continuing to glare at Hunter and Cam.

"Smooth, Hunter," Cam said, looking at the departing girls.

"Usually that works with Blake," Hunter said, nonplused.

"Anything works on Blake," Cam reminded him. "Blake is too cute for words."

Hunter raised an eyebrow. "And this came from where?"

"That's what Tori says," Cam deadpanned.

Hunter laughed. "Well, yeah, but that's Tori. She's biased."

"Let's try those girls in that sports jewelry booth," Cam said with a shrug.

Hunter eyed Cam skeptically. "Okay."

"Or, oh master of cruising, where do you want to try next?" Cam crossed his arms, as if daring Hunter to contradict him.

"The booth is fine, dude," Hunter said nonchalantly.

Cam raised his eyebrows and motioned for Hunter to go first.

Hunter sighed, but went. It was cramping his style, a little, having to look after Cam. Cam hadn't even said hi to the last pair of girls. He wasn't going to even try, was he?

Of course not, Hunter decided. His 'big' brother still had it bad for Trini.

And he didn't even know it. Instead, he was trying to... do something. Hunter approached the booth with a grin. Let Cam see an expert do it.

"Hi there," Hunter said, smiling at the girls working the booth. At least he could show his big brother what he was good at.

"Hi," the girl said, in a cheerful salesperson's tone. She was overdoing it, even. At least she was cute. She had freckles.

Hunter pondered the point of flirting with girls being paid to be there. They had to be nice to him. Oh well.

"Hi, I'm Hunter, this is my brother, Cam."

Cam shook his head in amusement.

"Say hi, Cam," Hunter prompted, shoving him gently.

"Hi," Cam said, smiling wickedly. "I'm looking for some jewelry for a friend of mine."

Hunter shook his head, covering his eyes with his hand. Cam's heart so wasn't in this. Hunter dropped his hand, wondering if Trini liked sports jewelry--and if that was actually who it was for. He knew one thing: Cam wouldn't wear any of that stuff himself.

"What kind?" the girl asked, more interested in Cam than Hunter. Obviously, she spotted a sale.

"Do you have anything that's mostly yellow?" Cam asked shifting uncomfortably.

The girl started showing Cam bracelets.

Hunter hid his mouth with his hand so Cam wouldn't see him laughing. Her Cam was, trying to do something that would get his girlfriend back for upsetting him, and he was looking for jewelry for her. Cam really needed to buy a clue.

After a while, Cam shook his head. "Thank you, but I don't see anything here. Thanks for showing me, though."

"You're welcome," the girl said cheerfully, though less cheerfully. "And you?" she asked Hunter.

"He's not interested in anything," Cam said, dragging Hunter off.

Once they stopped, Hunter said, "Very smooth, Cam, I'll have to borrow your moves sometime."

Cam rolled his eyes. "I don't think I'm cut out for this."

"Maybe there's a reason for that, bro," Hunter said. "One, I'm experienced. Two, you're not."

Cam sighed. "Okay, I'll watch you."

Hunter sighed, heading for another booth. Maybe Cam would get Trini back into his system, and fast.

-end


	16. Fatherly Love during SBtCp2

Disclaimer: Characters are the property of BVE and Village Roadshow. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Notes: You've seen Storm Before the Calm. Didn't Sensei Omino look like a proud Dad?

Fatherly Love  
by EstiRose and TPTigger  
c2004

Hunter was able to remember to breathe long enough not to pass out at the sight of his foster father. Or at least he hoped so. He was feeling a little light headed.

Blake moved closer to his brother, instintively. Hunter felt a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Cam. He was there.

Hunter wasn't sure how to react, what to say. If he should let Sensei see Cam supporting him....

But Sensei, his sensei and foster father, had spotted the three of them and was heading their way. At least he wasn't frowning. At least it looked like he wasn't frowning.

"Now what?" Blake whispered, looking up to him for guidance, as he always had.

"We're going to have to face him sometime," Hunter replied, trying not to sweat. Or pass out.

The man reached them. Cam's grip didn't falter, a solid presence by his side.

"Sensei?" Blake said instinctively. Hunter got the impression that Blake would have rather not have been there.

Sensei broke into a broad grin. "Blake, Hunter, I'm so proud of you," Sensei said, reaching out to shake their hands.

Hunter blinked at his foster father, shaking hands automatically.

"You've done so well," Sensei continued, still beaming. "Lothor was caught within his own trap, yet all the Ninjas are free."

"Thank you, Sensei," Blake said, finding his voice at last.

Hunter wasn't sure how his little brother was so composed. It felt like the only thing keeping him from falling over in shock was the reassuring presence of Cam's hand on his shoulder.

It was only then that Sensei seemed to turn his attention to Cam, clearly noting that Cam's hand was firmly on Hunter's shoulder. "It would seem you've made a new friend."

"Sensei, this is Cam Watanabe, son of Sensei Watanabe of the Wind Ninja academy... and our teammate." Hunter could only blink again as his Sensei smiled at his adoptive brother.

"The green one, I presume?" Sensei asked, noting the color of Cam's uniform.

"That's right," Cam said, removing his hand at last to shake Sensei's hand.

"Cam and his father have been taking care of us," Blake said. Hunter glanced at him, glared slightly, and winced as the fact came out in the open. They were in for it now.

To Hunter's amazement, Sensei Omino sighed with relief. "Well, it's good to know you found somewhere safe. Once I realized that Lothor had freed you from your bubbles, I was concerned about how you two were managing. I wished I could have been there for you, to do something...."

Hunter couldn't help himself. "You're not mad?"

"Why should I be?" his foster father asked quizically. "I may have had my feuds with Sensei Watanabe... but I am glad that he took you in."

Blake glanced at Hunter. Hunter glanced at Blake. He wasn't sure what to say next, but Blake seemed as speechless as Hunter.

"We um, sorta adopted Cam as an older brother," Hunter added, deciding the sooner they get everything out while Sensei seemed to be in a good mood, the better.

"Ah," Sensei said, deadpan. "Blake must have chosen him."

Cam started laughing hysterically.

Hunter mock-glared at his older brother.

Cam tried to regain his composure. "I'm sorry, Hunter, but it is pretty funny that he thinks it was Blake who was the instigator here," Cam chortled.

"I helped," Blake said defensively.

"You did." Cam smiled, patting Blake on the shoulder. "But Hunter talked you into it."

"Hey, you're the one who moved us," Hunter pointed out, shoving Cam's shoulder affectionately. "We had to adopt you."

"You moved them?" Sensei repeated, looking at his sons in confusion.

"These two stubborn boys had the deranged idea that you'd want them to die of malnutrition while living in a roach-infested motel," Cam said seriously. "The rest of the team had to pack them up and move them forcibly."

Hunter glared at Cam, dead serious this time.

"What?" Cam asked. "It's the truth!"

"Do you want your Dad to find out about the hotel?" Hunter asked, reminding Cam that he'd lied to his father about Blake and Hunter.

"I think Dad suspects," Cam said, rubbing at the dirt with one boot.

Sensei Omino raised an eyebrow. "You didn't tell your father where they were living?"

"Just that they had to move," Cam said, shrugging. "I figured they'd be made to see reason without that. And thankfully, they did."

"Besides, then he couldn't hold telling Sensei Watanabe over our heads," Blake added, mock-glaring at Cam.

"That's true," Cam deadpanned.

"Cam put us on a diet and everything," Blake added, as if to relay the horrors of their captivity.

Cam glared at his littlest brother. "Well, if you two would just learn how to eat right..." Cam scolded.

"Dude, chill." Hunter patted Cam's' shoulder in a calming manner. "Blake, maybe you'd better go get Tori while Sensei's in a good mood."

"Sure thing, bro," Blake said, heading off.

Sensei watched him go, face etched in concern. "Are there any... aftereffects of the... malnutrition?" He looked to Cam for reassurance.

"No. Thankfully, I had occasion to scan Blake after a battle and picked up on what was going on before it got too bad," Cam replied. "But if I hadn't stuffed them full of nutrients soon, there could've been permanent damage. This one's stubborn." Cam shoved Hunter affectionately.

"Indeed, he is," Omino responded. "It is a good thing Sensei Watanabe raised an even more stubborn son."

Cam flushed.

Hunter wondered when Blake would get back with Tori and save him the embarrassment of explaining why they'd thought he'd wanted them to stay away from the Wind Academy.

As if his brother were tuned to his thoughts, Blake and Tori approached, hand in hand.

"Sensei," Blake said as the two drew up, "This is Tori. She's a Wind Ninja."

"It's nice to meet you, Tori," Sensei said, sounding confused. Hunter didn't blame him. Blake, falling for a Wind Ninja?

"She's also my girlfriend," Blake added, swallowing hard. Hunter didn't blame Blake for being nervous either.

Hunter paled a little. Their two academies had been distant for generations. What would Sensei say?

"Ah," Omino said, looking Tori over critically, as any father would upon meeting his son's date.

"She's met Leanne," Blake added, as if that would soften the blow.

Omino's eyes lit up in delight at the thought of his daughter. "How is your big sister? Do you know how to reach her?"

Blake nodded. "She's fine... and yes, I have her phone number. She lives twenty minutes away."

Sensei Omino beamed.

"Tori and she met while Leanne was helping me with some training." Blake scuffed his shoes on the dirt.

"Ah," Omino said, returning focus to the Wind Ninja in front of him, and extended his hand in greeting. "It's very nice to meet you Tori."

Tori blushed as she reached out her own hand. "It's very nice to finally meet you, sir."

Omino chuckled. "I am not as intimidating as I seem."

Tori flushed. "I guess you're not."

Hunter just gaped, still not sure what to make of all this. "Um... Sensei...." he managed finally

"What is it, Hunter?" Omino asked, looking concerned, and also getting that look of when he was about to reach for the thermometer.

"You sure you're okay?" Hunter asked, looking from Omino to Tori.

"I'm fine, Hunter," Sensei Omino put an arm around Hunter's shoulders. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Um... um..." Hunter found himself without anything coherent to say.

"Hunter? What? Please, tell me." Omino looked at him gently. Hunter had a feeling he definitely had a date with a thermometer.

"I kinda guess he wasn't expecting you to be so calm about me," Tori said, stepping forward while still holding Blake's hand.

"Or us living in Ninja Ops," Blake added, dropping Tori's hand and putting an arm around her shoulders.

"What, you two think I would rather you live in a seedy hotel room without enough to eat than with Sensei Watanabe?" Omino asked, balking at the thought.

"And Cam the Samurai," Hunter added quietly, studying the tops of his boots.

"I knew that Sensei Watanabe had a son with Samurai blood," Omino said, lifting Hunter's chin to face him. "I'm just glad that blood was there to protect you."

Hunter leaned against his guardian in relief. "Thanks, Sensei."

"You are welcome, Hunter." He backed off, but took Hunter by the shoulders. "Now, Hunter, Blake, we must see to getting our academy back together. Tori, you are welcome to visit anytime."

Tori blushed. "Thank you, Sensei Omino."

"You too, Cam," Omino added as an afterthought. "I'm sure you'll want to check up on your 'brothers'. I'll send them round to collect their things once we're settled in."

Cam grinned. And bowed. Deeply.

With that, Hunter and Blake followed their guardian to round up the other Thunder Ninjas. They were going home.


	17. Wherein, Misunderstandings

Disclaimer: Characters don't belong to us. They belong to BVE and VRP.

Authors' notes: Well, here it is. The last (or next-to-last, depending on how bad the teamup messes things up) BF story. Wow. It's been a while.

Building Family: Wherein, Misunderstandings  
by EstiRose and TpTigger  
c2004

Cam double checked the address in his PDA. Yes, this was definitely Trini's flat, unlikely though it seemed. He took a deep breath, hoping this would work out for the best. After all, she was the one with... a new boyfriend. Named Billy. Or so he thought. He nervously rang the doorbell.

The door opened, revealing a figure that was not Trini, to say the least. "Yes?" asked a blond man wearing blue boxers and a blue t-shirt. His hair was mussed--it was 10 in the morning, and he hadn't been out of bed yet.

"I'm looking for Trini Kwan," Cam said, hoping this wasn't Trini's Billy. Of course, with his luck, it would be Trini's Billy.

"And you are?" The man asked.

"Cameron Watanabe," Cam said, drawing up and using his full name. It was full of syllables, and could sound very intimidating. If he used it properly.

The man gaped.

Cam nearly crowed at the man's expression. So this guy knew who he was. Oh, this should be interesting.

"Hey, Billy, who's at the... door," Trini bounced up, wearing yellow sweats, and stood behind Billy, staring at Cam in shock.

"Want me to get rid of him?" Billy offered, putting a protective arm around Trini and drawing her to his side.

"Want to try?" Cam asked calmly, crossing his arms and glaring at Billy.

"Billy, he's here," Trini pointed out, pushing Billy away. "Let him in for Pete's sake."

Cam wondered if the hopeful note in her voice was wishful thinking on his part.

Billy said nothing, but by taking a step to the side allowed Cam through the door.

"Thanks, Trini," Cam said gratefully as he came in. He wanted to scoop her into his arms and kiss her breathless, but he wasn't sure how she'd react to that.

Or if he was entitled to anymore.

Trini gave him a very small smile.

"Um... let's talk in the uh...." He managed.

"How about right here?" Billy suggested, crossing his arms. Obviously, he trusted Cam no father than he could throw him.

Cam gulped. The guy had muscles. And he was upset. He had the same look in his eyes that Cam's teammates did when they were being protective of Cam.

"Billy!" Trini exclaimed. She rolled her eyes and grabbed Cam's arm, starting to lead him away. "Come on, we'll talk in the bedroom."

Cam let his girlfriend - or he hoped, at least, still-girlfriend - to lead him to the bedroom without this ape following. He was also grateful to note that the futon in the living room was in bed form and had obviously been slept in. As had Trini's bed. Separately.

Trini crossed her arms. "Well, Cam, you don't call, you don't write, you're either never in IM or you have me blocked, then you show up at my door. What do you have to say to me?"

"I'm sorry, Trini. It's just been... been...."

Trini studied him with growing concern. "You didn't think Billy and I..." It sounded like she was trying very hard not to laugh at the concept.

Cam's cheeks grew hot. He had been pretty silly.

"He thought you and I...." Billy started.

Cam jumped, turning to find the man lurking in the doorway to Trini's bedroom.

Trini laughed out loud, shaking her head at something. "Obviously he doesn't know what he's looking at yet."

Cam looked from one to the other. Then focused on Billy. "When did you get here?"

"Cam, stop with the interrogation, Billy's an old friend." Trini sighed with frustration.

"I thought he was in the other room!" Cam said defensively. "Wasn't the point of coming in here to have some privacy?" He glared at Billy.

"Billy...." Trini looked at her friend with puppy-dog eyes.

"Right," Billy said, somewhat grudgingly, and withdrew.

"Sorry, he gets protective sometimes." Trini rolled her eyes and sat on the bed, patting the spot next to her.

"Like Tommy gets protective?" Cam mused, sitting next to his girlfriend.

"Yes," Trini said simply. "We're close friends. I met Tommy about a year after I met Billy, and we got to be really close in high school."

"Oh," Cam said sheepishly, wondering if he had overreacted.

"Cam, this whole communications black out wasn't because of Billy's visit, was it?" Trini asked, looking at him.

"Um... that and a... few other things." Things that, for secrecy's sake, he had to leave out.

Trini arched an eyebrow. "Like?"

"Things," Cam said, avoiding the question for the most part. "Dad. The Bradley Brothers. Other things."

Trini sighed. "You're being all secretive again. How is your Dad?"

"He's getting better," Cam said. "He's not as weak or feeling as small as he was." Thank goodness Trini never would know about his father's transformation into a speaking guinea pig.

"That's good." Trini leaned against his shoulder. "How long are you in England?"

Cam put an arm around her. "Depends on how long the PhD takes."

Trini raised her eyebrows, sitting up in shock. "You're coming here permanently?"

Cam nodded. "I finally get to join you."

Trini bowled him over in a tight hug. Cam fell back under her weight, but returned the hug enthusiastically, fighting the temptation to escalate things.

"It's so good to see you again," Cam murmured into her ear.

Trini buried her face in his shoulder, sighing contentedly. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too," Cam said. "So, Billy's just an old friend?"

Trini nodded. "A close one, but still a friend. I'd die for him, but I'm not in love with him."

Cam nodded hesitantly, a lump forming in his throat. He doubted that Trini really had meant what she'd said, but it reminded him of the team he'd left behind at school.

"It's not unlike the relationship you have with Tori, I'd imagine," Trini said, looking over at him.

Cam blinked. She thought he had a relationship with Tori? He then realized she thought he and Tori were really close. Which was true in a way.

Trini flushed, biting her lip. Cam recognized it as her "How do I explain this?" look.

"Um...." She reached under her bed and got out a small, ornamented wooden box and started poking at it.

"What's in there?" Cam asked, leaning forward.

Trini opened it and showed him a small, gold colored coin with a saber toothed tiger on it. "This."

"A Power Morpher?" Cam blurted. The words were out of his mouth before he could even process them. Yet alone manage not to say anything.

Trini gave him a warm grin. "I thought you'd recognize it."

Cam blinked at his girlfriend in confusion. "How... Why.. Why would you think that? And how do I recognize it."

"You have one too, right?" Trini asked hopefully, looking at him with doe eyes.

Cam took off his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "How long have you known?"

"For sure? About a minute," Trini said, looking down. "But I've suspected ever since your birthday party."

"How?" Cam asked. Had he said something obvious that gave him away?

"When everyone's 'beepers' went off during your birthday party," Trini replied, taking his hand. "Add that in with the report on the Rangers on the evening news, the fact the green one was missing, and all the color coding at your birthday party..."

Cam blanched. If it was obvious... as Dustin would say, they were all so busted.

"What?" Trini asked, as if she noted his alarm.

"Were we that transparent?" he managed.

"Only if to someone else who spent part of their life with the same MO," Trini said in a soothing tone. "I bet you know which color Ranger I was."

Cam looked. "Yellow?" Trini wore little but. It was the same with him and green.

"Got it on the one!" Trini said, hugging him again.

Cam sighed. She had been a Ranger. His Trini had been a Ranger. And he'd lied to her so much. "I'm so sorry about how I've been acting." He paused. "Do any of your... teammates... know I'm a Ranger?"

Trini flushed a little. "I told Tommy I thought you were. And I plan on bouncing out there and telling Billy."

"Let me guess, Billy was Blue and Tommy was... either Red or Green?" Cam bit his lip. Tommy wore more colors than anyone who was a former Ranger would normally. Unless the attraction went away with time.

"Tommy... Tommy has been several colors," Trini said. "Two during my time as a Ranger, a third a little later."

"What was his other color?" Cam asked, curious.

"White," Trini answered.

"Interesting," Cam said, shifting to a more comfortable position. "Guess Dustin was right about that team in Angel Grove about 10 years ago, huh?"

Trini smiled. "That was us."

"Oh," Cam said, suddenly nervous. "Um...."

"Can I tell Billy now?" Trini asked, nearly bouncing with excitement.

"Yeah, sure, I guess," Cam managed. He was still totally overwhelmed. Not only was Trini not mad at him, but she used to be a Ranger? And a yellow one at that.

Trini smiled. "Hold on."

She bounced out of the room, as if the gravity had been turned off.

Cam blinked, suddenly nervous. He felt like he was meeting Mr. Kwan instead of his girlfriend's teammate. Of course, he knew how protective his teammates were of each other, and he imagined that other teams were pretty much the same.

"How 'bout Billy and I get dressed and we go for brunch?" Trini suggested, flouncing back into the room. "I think the Bird and Babe opens soon."

"Bird and Babe?" Cam echoed, mystified.

"Sorry, Eagle and Child," Trini replied. "It's a pub where JRR Tolkein and other famous writers of the era used to hang out."

"Okay," Cam agreed nervously.

"Great," Trini said, kissing his cheek happily. "Do me a favor and pop over to the kitchen so I can change?"

Cam nodded, not really hearing. He sat still.

"Cam," Trini prodded, grabbing his hands.

"Oh, right." Cam let Trini pull him to his feet, willed himself out of the bedroom, and set about finding the kitchen.

Billy, now clad in blue jeans and a Harvard t-shirt, was sipping a cup of tea at the kitchen table.

Cam sat down and quietly waited for his girlfriend to change.

"So you're a Green Ranger, huh?" Billy asked, smirking at him.

"I am," Cam agreed, looking the other up and down skeptically.

"I'm sorry about earlier," Billy said, taking another ship. "We were just convinced that you weren't going to come out. Especially when you stopped writing. Trini's been... pretty upset."

"It's OK," Cam said, suddenly embarrassed.. "I probably deserved it with the virtual disappearing act I pulled."

"Battles got intense?" Billy asked knowingly.

"That plus... oh, I'll explain it when Trini comes out," Cam said, remembering his girlfriend might want to be told his Dad was a guinea pig first.

Billy raised an eyebrow, clearly interested.

"There was a lot of aftermath from the final battle," Cam explained. "I was busy helping out at home--Dad was our mentor--and keeping an eye on my teammates."

"Oh," Billy said in a manner that implied he was convinced there was more to it.

Cam decided a change of subject was in order. "So there's you, Tommy, and, what, two other guys who have been after my head for the last year?"

"Guy and a girl," Billy said, looking at him strangely.

Lightening struck Cam. "Wait, don't tell me, the girl's Kim Hart?" Cam guessed.

Billy nodded.

"That explains the interrogation the time I picked up Trini's phone in college," Cam mused.

Billy chuckled. "Trini is our teammate."

Cam nearly laughed, thinking about the grilling poor Marah had received from Shane and Tori about her relationship with Dustin.

"I take it you've done your share of protecting your teammates." Billy smiled.

Cam nodded, thinking of how he'd been ready to take out Sensei Omino's throat if he'd reacted differently to Hunter and Blake's activities while he'd been a prisoner on Lothor's ship. "You could say that."

"It's part of the psychological effects of facing danger together so often," Billy said, as if they were having a discussion on Ranger psychology.

Cam nodded. It made sense. "You're so used to looking out for each other on the battlefield, you have to do it off the field too."

"It can get you into some interesting situations," Billy said, clearly remembering his own past as a Ranger.

"Like forcibly moving your teammates out of a seedy hotel?" Cam asked, remembering Blake and Hunter's situation.

Billy raised his eyebrows. "Among other things," he said, clearly interested.

"Short version is I had stubborn teenage teammates who didn't know how to ask for help," Cam told him.

Billy nodded. "Rangers are sometimes stubborn that way."

"I guess," Cam said. "Those two certainly are." He smiled slightly at that.

Billy gave him a small smile. His eyes were warm and welcoming, and for once, Cam didn't feel like he was being glared at.

"Geez, Billy, you couldn't offer Cam a cup of tea," Trini scolded as she flounced into the room, whacking Billy's shoulder and giving Cam a peck on the cheek.

"We got busy talking," Cam said, squeezing her hand and gazing appreciatively at her yellow blouse.

Billy just blushed, looking at the table.

Trini looked from one to the other, eyes growing wide. "Talking?"

"Making our peace," Cam said simply, getting up and placing an arm around Trini's shoulders.

Trini raised an eyebrow at that.

Billy gave her a smile, standing as well. "We were comparing stories about our teammates."

"Oh, dear," Trini said, blushing.

"So, are you ready to go?" Cam asked.

"Yup," Trini said happily. She was brimming with excitement, and Cam couldn't blame her.

Cam grinned, and offered her his arm. Trini took it. Billy joined them, and the three headed out to the pub.

"Any particular reason you wanted to go to this pub?" Cam asked his significant other idly. "Other than the historical significance, I mean."

"Non smoking section," Trini said, grinning.

"It's a rarity around here," Billy added, balancing on the curb as they walked.

Cam grinned, thinking of all the smoking going on in the train stations on the way up from Gatwick.

"Apparently you can take us out of California, but you'll never take California out of us," Trini said, leaning her head on Cam's shoulder for a moment.

Cam chuckled, squeezing her hand. "Remember when Hayley took us to that coffee house in Cambridge and we absolutely could not believe that they allowed smoking."

"Tommy didn't believe me afterwards, either," Trini said, shaking her head. "I had to drag him back there."

Billy was grinning. "That's Tommy for you."

"Have you told Billy the story of Tommy's first chem lab?" Cam asked.

Trini giggled.

The three walked in the direction of the pub, chatting away.

End


End file.
